1978 in film

The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1978 released films by box office gross in the United States and Canada are as follows:

Rank	Title	Distributor	Box-office gross
1	Grease	Paramount	$159,978,870
2	Superman	Warner Bros.	$134,218,018
3	National Lampoon's Animal House	Universal	$120,091,123
4	Every Which Way but Loose	Warner Bros.	$85,196,485
5	Heaven Can Wait	Paramount	$81,640,278
6	Hooper	Warner Bros.	$78,000,000
7	Jaws 2	Universal	$77,737,272
8	Revenge of the Pink Panther	United Artists	$49,579,269
9	The Deer Hunter	Universal	$48,979,328
10	Halloween	Compass International	$47,000,000

Events

February 6 – David Begelman resigns as president of Columbia Pictures.
March 1 – Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery three months after burial. After recovery a few weeks later, the casket is sealed in a concrete vault prior to reburial.
March – Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for The Empire Strikes Back, but dies only two weeks later.
June – Daniel Melnick becomes head of Columbia Pictures after the David Begelman scandal.
June 4 – Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, has its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It becomes the highest-grossing musical ever and Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film.
July 20 – Alan Hirschfield is fired as president and CEO of Columbia Pictures. He is replaced by Francis T. Vincent.
August – Production begins on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
September – George Lucas purchases Bulltail Ranch, on Lucas Valley Road, for the development of Skywalker Ranch.
October 25 – Halloween is released.
November 17 – Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming sequel. But he was not enough for the special to avoid negative reviews upon airing.
December 10 – Superman premieres at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., and has a European Royal Charity Premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London three days later in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and the then Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

Awards

Palme d'Or :
Golden Bear :
'''People's Choice Award :'''

1978 films

By country/region

By genre/medium

Births

January 1 – Christian Tessier, Canadian actor
January 2
*Raghda Khateb, Syrian voice actress
*Megumi Toyoguchi, Japanese voice actress
January 3 – Kimberley Locke, American singer-songwriter and model
January 5
*Clarine Harp, American voice actress
*January Jones, American actress and model
*America Olivo, American actress and singer
January 6 – Tara Spencer-Nairn, Canadian actress
January 8 – Scott Whyte, American actor
January 9 – AJ McLean, American musician, singer, dancer, actor, and entertainer
January 10 – Antonio Cupo, Canadian film and television actor
January 14 - Blake Ritson, English actor
January 15
* Eddie Cahill, American actor
* Jamie Clayton, American actress, model
January 17
*Pampita, Argentine model, actress, television personality
*Takatoshi Kaneko, Japanese actor
*Ricky Wilson, English actor, singer
January 20 – Omar Sy, French actor
January 24
*Mark Hildreth, Canadian actor, voice actor
*Kristen Schaal, American actress, comedian and writer
January 25 – Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian actor and politician
January 26 - Kelly Stables, American actress
January 27 – Jake Pavelka, American pilot, television personality
January 28 – Stephen Farrelly, Irish actor and professional wrestler
January 29 - Julee Cerda, South Korean-born American actress
February 1 - Bryan Dick, English actor
February 2 - Rich Sommer, American actor
February 7 – Ashton Kutcher, American actor
February 9
*Fede Álvarez, Uruguyan filmmaker
*A. J. Buckley, Canadian actor
February 10 - Don Omar, Puerto Rican singer, rapper and actor
February 11 - Lymari Nadal, Puerto Rican actress, producer and screenwriter
February 12 –
*Paul Anderson, British actor
*Gethin Jones, Welsh television presenter
February 14 – Danai Gurira, actress, playwright
February 17
*Ashton Holmes, American actor
*Rory Kinnear, English actor and playwright
February 20
*Julia Jentsch, German actress
*Chelsea Peretti, American comedian, actress, television writer and singer-songwriter
February 23 – Kris Lemche, Canadian actor
February 24 – Nicole Lyn, Canadian actress
February 28 - Geoffrey Arend, American actor
March 1 – Jensen Ackles, American actor
March 3 – Aarti Mann, Indian-American actress
March 5 – Kimberly McCullough, American actress, dancer, director
March 8 – Nick Zano, American actor
March 9 – Katherine Parkinson, English actress
March 16 – Sophie Hunter, English actress and singer
March 17 – Patrick Seitz, American voice actor
March 21
*Kevin Federline, American rapper, DJ, actor, television personality, professional wrestler, and fashion model
*Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
March 23 – Nicholle Tom and David Tom, American actress and actor
March 24 – Amanda Brugel, Canadian actress
March 25
*Teddy Lussi-Modeste, French film director, screenwriter and literature teacher
*Maribeth Monroe, American actress, writer and comedian
March 27 - Romesh Ranganathan, British actor, comedian and presenter
March 31 - Daniel Mays, English actor
April 1
*JJ Feild, British-American actor
*Anamaria Marinca, Romanian actress
April 2 – Deon Richmond, American actor
April 3 – Matthew Goode, English actor
April 6 - Lauren Ridloff, deaf American actress
April 7
*Duncan James, English actor, television presenter and singer
*Scott McGillivray, Canadian television host
April 8
*Paola Núñez, Mexican actress and producer
*Rachel Roberts, Canadian model and actress
April 12 – Riley Smith, American actor
April 13 – Kyle Howard, American actor
April 14 - Michelle Duncan, Scottish-Canadian actress
April 16 – Lara Dutta, Indian actress
April 17 – Ido Mosseri, Israeli actor, singer and musician
April 19
*James Franco, American actor
*Joanna Gaines, American designer, businesswoman, entrepreneur, television personality
April 20
*Matt Austin, Canadian actor
*Clayne Crawford, American actor
April 23 – Ian Brennan, American writer, actor, producer
April 26
* Stana Katic, Canadian-American actress, producer
* Pablo Schreiber, Canadian actor
April 28
*Robert Oliveri, American former child actor
*Nate Richert, American actor, musician
*Drew Scott, Canadian actor, realtor, and entrepreneur
*Jonathan Scott, Canadian reality television personality, contractor, illusionist, and television and film producer
April 29 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor
April 30 – Sandra Huller, German actress
May 1
*James Badge Dale, American actor
*Lorene Scafaria, American director, screenwriter and actress
May 2 - Kumail Nanjiani, Pakistani-American comedian, actor and screenwriter
May 4 – Daisuke Ono, Japanese voice actor and singer
May 5 – Santiago Cabrera, Venezuelan-born Chilean actor
May 8
*Matthew Davis, American actor
*Ana Maria Lombo, American musician and television personality
*Josie Maran, American model, actress, and entrepreneur
May 9 – Daniel Franzese, American actor, comedian and activist
May 10
*Corri English, American actress
*Kenan Thompson, American actor, comedian
May 11 – Warren Brown, English actor and former professional Thai boxer
May 12
*Aaron Abrams, Canadian actor, writer
*Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian actress
*Jason Biggs, American actor
May 13 - Patrick Hughes, Australian director and screenwriter
May 15
*Caroline Dhavernas, Canadian actress
*David Krumholtz, American actor
May 16 – Jim Sturgess, English actor
May 17
* Gabriel Hogan, Canadian-born American actor
* Kat Foster, American actress
May 18 – Chad Donella, Canadian actor
May 21 – Chris Santos, American actor
May 22 – Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
May 24 – Bryan Greenberg, American actor
May 25 – Kick Gurry, Australian actor
May 26 – Laurence Fox, English actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist
May 28 – Jake Johnson, actor, comedian
May 29 – Adam Rickitt, English actor, singer and model
May 31 - Christopher Carley, American actor
June 2
*Dominic Cooper, English actor
*Nikki Cox, American actress
*Justin Long, American actor
June 4
*Josh McDermitt, American film and television actor and comedian
*Robin Lord Taylor, American actor
June 5
*Nick Kroll, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
*Jeff Schroeder, American television and online talk show host
June 6 - Judith Barsi, American child actress
June 7
*Bill Hader, American actor, comedian
*Anna Torv, Australian actress
June 8 – Maria Menounos, American actress
June 9
*Michaela Conlin, American actress
*Youssef Kerkour, Moroccan-British actor
June 10
*DJ Qualls, American actor
*Shane West, American actor
*Marko Zaror, Chilean martial artist and actor
June 11 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian actor
June 12 - Timothy Simons, American actor and comedian
June 13 – Ethan Embry, American actor
June 14 - Diablo Cody, Canadian writer
June 16
*Daniel Brühl, German actor
*Lyndsey Marshal, English actress
June 18
*Tara Platt, American voice actress
*Emma Heming Willis, British-American actress
June 19
*Mía Maestro, Argentine actress and singer-songwriter
*Zoe Saldaña, American actress
June 20
*Quinton Jackson, American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler
*Mike Birbiglia, American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer
June 21 – Erica Durance, Canadian actress
June 22 - David Derrick Jr., American director and storyboard artist
June 27 – Courtney Ford, American actress
June 28 – Ha Ji-won, South Korean actress
June 29 –
*Luke Kirby, Canadian actor
*Nicole Scherzinger, American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and television personality
July 2 – Owain Yeoman, Welsh actor
July 3 – Ian Anthony Dale, American actor
July 4
*Becki Newton, American actress
July 6
*Adam Busch, American actor, film director and singer
*Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, American actresses
July 9 – Kyle Davis, American actor
July 11
*Dustin Demri-Burns, English actor, comedian, and writer
*Jonjo O'Neill, Irish actor
*Thomas Stone, Hungarian pornographic actor
July 12
*Marco de la O, Mexican actor
*Topher Grace, American actor
*Michelle Rodriguez, American actress
July 15 – Greg Sestero, American actor, writer
July 17
*Justine Triet, French film director, screenwriter and editor
*R. J. Williams, American actor, television host, CEO of Young Hollywood
*Eugene Cordero, American comedian, actor and writer
July 20
*Charlie Korsmo, American former child actor
*Anatol Yusef, English stage, film and television actor
July 21
*Justin Bartha, American actor
*Josh Hartnett, American actor
July 22
*Damien Bonnard, French actor
*A. J. Cook, Canadian actress
July 23 - Pearry Reginald Teo, Singaporean filmmaker
July 24 – Jeff Mauro, American actor, chef
July 27 - Jeff Fowler, American director and animator
July 29 - Paul King, British writer and director
August 2 – Natashia Williams, American actress, model
August 3
*Tommy Dewey, American actor, producer, writer
*Shanelle Workman, American actress, voice actress, producer and director
August 4 – Mick Cain, American actor
August 6 – Lee Ji-ah, South Korean actress
August 7 - David Caves, Northern Irish actor
August 8 – Countess Vaughn, American actress
August 10
*Leo Fitzpatrick, American actor
*Alison Folland, American actress and filmmaker
August 11 - Isy Suttie, British musical comedian, actress and writer
August 18 – Andy Samberg, American actor, comedian
August 19 - Michelle Borth, American actress
August 20 – Kris Smith, English Australian model, television presenter and rugby league footballer
August 22 – James Corden, English singer, actor, television host
August 23
* Kobe Bryant, American actor and basketball player
* Andrew Rannells, American actor, voice actor, singer
August 24 – Beth Riesgraf, American actress
August 25 – Kel Mitchell, American actor, comedian
August 26 - Amanda Schull, American actress
August 28 – Sam Wills, New Zealand prop comic, busker, clown and mime
August 30 – Gianpaolo Venuta, Canadian actor
August 31 – Mike Erwin, American actor
September 1 - Nathalie Cox, British actress
September 3 – Nick Wechsler, American actor
September 4 – Wes Bentley, American actor
September 5
*James Ponsoldt, American director, actor and screenwriter
*Yu Nan, Chinese actress
September 7
*Coleby Lombardo, American former child actor
*Devon Sawa, Canadian actor
September 12 – Benjamin McKenzie, American actor
September 16
*Carolina Dieckmann, Brazilian actress
*Ebonie Smith, American former actress and model
September 18 – Billy Eichner, American comedian, actor, writer, and television personality
September 20 – Charlie Weber, American actor
September 21 – Paulo Costanzo, Canadian actor
September 22 – Daniella Alonso, American actress and fashion model
September 23 – Anthony Mackie, American actor
September 24 - Christopher Nowinski, American author, co-founder and executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation; as well as a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
September 25 – Rossif Sutherland, Canadian actor
September 26 - Yuri Buzzi, Italian actor and writer
September 28 – Lucas Bryant, Canadian actor
September 29 – Nathan West, American actor
September 30 - Stark Sands, American actor
October 1 – Katie Aselton, American actress, film director and producer
October 3
*Christian Coulson, English actor
*Shannyn Sossamon, American actress
October 6 - Lindsey Pearlman, American actress
October 7
*Joe Armstrong, English actor
*Omar Benson Miller, American actor
*Hattie Morahan, English actress
*Tony Way, English actor, comedian and writer
October 9 – Randy Spelling, American actor
October 10
*Trevor Eyster, American actor
*Edan Gross, American former child actor
*Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, American actress
October 11
*Wes Chatham, American actor
*Trevor Donovan, American actor
October 14 – Usher, American singer, actor
October 15
*Devon Gummersall, American actor
*Matt Lutz, American actor
October 18 – Wesley Jonathan, American actor
October 19 - Lee Isaac Chung, American filmmaker
October 21
*Will Estes, American actor
*Michael McMillian, American actor
October 26 –
*CM Punk, American mixed martial artist, comic book writer and retired professional wrestler
*Anthony Carrino, American contractor, designer, developer and television personality
October 27 – David Walton, American actor
October 28
*Gwendoline Christie, English actress and model
*Justin Guarini, American singer and actor
October 30 - Matthew Morrison, American singer, actor
October 31 – Brian Hallisay, American actor
November 1
*Jeremy Glazer, American actor
*Mary Kate Schellhardt, American actress
November 2
*Oliver Chris, English actor
*Whit Hertford, American theatre director, writer and actor
November 7 - Will Gluck, American director, producer, screenwriter and composer
November 8 – Keir O'Donnell, Australian-American actor
November 9 – Sisqó, American singer, actor, songwriter
November 10
*David Paetkau, Canadian actor
*Diplo, American actor, DJ, record producer, rapper, songwriter
November 12
*Céline Sciamma, French screenwriter and film director
*Nicolas Giraud, French actor and filmmaker
*Alexandra Maria Lara, Romanian-German actress
*Ashley Williams, American actress
November 13 - Marit Velle Kile, Norwegian former actress
November 17
*Nonso Anozie, British actor
*Zoe Bell, New Zealand stuntwoman, actress
*Tom Ellis, Welsh actor
*Rachel McAdams, Canadian actress
November 19 – Eric Nenninger, American actor
November 20 - Nadine Velazquez, American actress and model
November 21 – Yasmine Al Massri, International actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate
November 23 – Kayvan Novak, British actor, voice actor, and comedian
November 24 – Katherine Heigl, American actress
November 25 – Taís Araújo, Brazilian actress
November 26 – Jun Fukuyama, Japanese voice actor and singer
November 28 – Jodie Resther, Canadian actress
November 30 - Gael García Bernal, Mexican film actor, director, and producer
December 1
*Camille Cottin, French actress and comedian
*Stefan Kapičić, Serbian actor
December 6 - K. D. Aubert, American actress
December 7
*Shiri Appleby, American actress
*Kristofer Hivju, Norwegian film actor, producer and writer
December 8 – Ian Somerhalder, American actor
December 9 – Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
December 10 - Summer Phoenix, American actress
December 12 - Gbenga Akinnagbe, American actor and writer
December 13 – Cameron Douglas, American actor
December 15 – Will Wikle, American actor and reality television personality
December 16 – Joe Absolom, English actor
December 17 – Douglas Tait, American actor, stuntman, filmmaker
December 18
*Josh Dallas, American actor
*Katie Holmes, American actress
*Ravi Patel, American actor
December 21
*Charles Dera, American pornographic actor, dancer, model, martial artist, and former U.S. Marine
*Mike Vitar, American actor
December 22 – Mia Tyler, American actress, model, author, visual artist, media personality, socialite, fashion designer, talent manager and music promoter
December 23 - Josh Cowdery, American actor
December 24 – Carlson Twins, American actors, models
December 25 – Jeremy Strong, American film, television, and stage actor
December 27 - Lisa Jakub, Canadian writer and former actress
December 28 – John Legend, American composer and actor
December 30 – Tyrese Gibson, American actor, singer, model
December 31 – Johnny Sins, pornographic actor, director, and Internet personality