Lars von Trier's Top Grossing Films In North America

Lars von Trier's Palme d'Or winning musical masterpiece is also his highest grossing film in North America. Fine Line release the Bjork-starring "Dancer in the Dark" on September 22, 2000, and it averaged an impressive $30,537 from its 3 debut screens. It would go on to gross $4,184,036 in America (and $40,031,879 worldwide).

Featuring an Academy Award nominated performance by then-newcomer Emily Watson (tragically still the only von Trier performance to earn an Oscar nod), "Breaking The Waves" grossed $3,803,298 when it was released on November 13, 1996 (almost exactly 15 years ago). That was one of the 10 highest grosses for distributor October Films, and when one adjusts for inflation, it's still von Trier's highest grossing film in America.

The first film in von Trier's incomplete "U.S. trilogy," "Dogville" grossed $1,535,286 when it was released in March 2006. Starring Nicole Kidman - perhaps the most marketable actress to star in a Lars von Trier film - "Dogville" grossed another $15,145,550 outside of North America.

The third film in von Trier's Europe trilogy (which was actually released in the U.S. as "Zentropa" to avoid confusion with "Europa, Europa") was also its highest grosser. It took in $1,007,001 when it was released by Miramax in May of 1992.

"Melancholia"'s direct predecessor - and perhaps von Trier's most controversial film - grossed $404,122 in North America in October 2009. Though a somewhat disappointing number, distributor IFC Films also released the film simultaneously on video-on-demand. Official numbers were no made available, but IFC did say it was one of its top performing films on VOD that year. It is also the highest grossing film to feature genital mutilation, so there's that as well...

Top Ten Box Office Chart