Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $5,304,920Details
International Box Office $4,064,709Details
Worldwide Box Office $9,369,629
Further financial details...

Synopsis

For over 20,000 years, Chauvet Cave has been completely sealed off by a fallen rock face, its crystal-encrusted interior as large as a football field and strewn with the petrified remains of giant ice age mammals. In 1994, scientists discovered the caverns, and found hundreds of pristine paintings within, spectacular artwork dating back over 30,000 years (almost twice as old as any previous finds) to a time when Neanderthals still roamed the earth and cave bears, mammoths, and ice age lions were the dominant populations of Europe. Since then, only a few people have been allowed access into Chauvet Cave, and the true scope of its contents had largely gone unfelt - until Werner Herzog managed to gain access. Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth, all the while musing in his inimitable fashion about its original inhabitants, the birth of art, and the curious people surrounding the caves today.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$139,101 (2.6% of total gross)
Legs:11.24 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:56.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/123 max. theaters, 8.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $7,211,475

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 29th, 2011 (Limited) by IFC Films
International Releases: April 13th, 2012 (Wide) (Uruguay)
June 22nd, 2012 (Wide) (Spain)
November 29th, 2012 (Wide) (Netherlands)
February 15th, 2013 (Wide) (Brazil)
Video Release: November 29th, 2011 by Mpi Home Video
MPAA Rating: G
(Rating bulletin 2166, 4/6/2011)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Tangled
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: 3-D, Academics, Artists, Directing Yourself, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Academic Documentary, Paleontologist, Cavemen
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Creative Differences, History Films
Production Countries: Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Top 2011 Theater Average 31 $27,820 Apr 29, 2011 3

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 29, 2011 29 $139,101   5 $27,820   $139,101 1
May 6, 2011 24 $402,948 +190% 50 $8,059   $627,449 2
May 13, 2011 18 $471,933 +17% 82 $5,755   $1,315,636 3
May 20, 2011 17 $415,310 -12% 106 $3,918   $1,973,239 4
May 27, 2011 13 $431,062 +4% 118 $3,653   $2,618,534 5
Jun 3, 2011 16 $346,316 -20% 122 $2,839   $3,253,767 6
Jun 10, 2011 17 $261,390 -25% 123 $2,125   $3,727,369 7
Jun 17, 2011 20 $241,045 -8% 116 $2,078   $4,138,016 8
Jun 24, 2011 26 $142,275 -41% 75 $1,897   $4,423,277 9
Jul 1, 2011 30 $110,082 -23% 60 $1,835   $4,633,692 10
Jul 8, 2011 34 $82,074 -25% 48 $1,710   $4,800,393 11
Jul 15, 2011 45 $50,284 -39% 48 $1,048   $4,909,753 12
Jul 22, 2011 44 $54,410 +8% 38 $1,432   $5,032,515 13
Jul 29, 2011 52 $35,546 -35% 32 $1,111   $5,102,891 14
Aug 5, 2011 56 $35,189 -1% 28 $1,257   $5,164,553 15
Aug 12, 2011 63 $18,418 -48% 15 $1,228   $5,205,665 16
Aug 19, 2011 70 $16,114 -13% 15 $1,074   $5,234,785 17

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
May 23, 2011 - $53,178     106 $502   $2,026,417 25
May 30, 2011 13 $146,154   +175% 118 $1,239   $2,764,688 32
Jul 4, 2011 29 $25,820     60 $430   $4,659,512 67

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 29, 2011 29 $224,501   5 $44,900   $224,501 1
May 6, 2011 22 $619,202 +176% 50 $12,384   $843,703 2
May 13, 2011 18 $714,226 +15% 82 $8,710   $1,557,929 3
May 20, 2011 17 $629,543 -12% 106 $5,939   $2,187,472 4
May 27, 2011 13 $719,979 +14% 118 $6,102   $2,907,451 5
Jun 3, 2011 17 $558,528 -22% 122 $4,578   $3,465,979 6
Jun 10, 2011 19 $430,992 -23% 123 $3,504   $3,896,971 7
Jun 17, 2011 21 $383,581 -11% 116 $3,307   $4,280,552 8
Jun 24, 2011 27 $243,058 -37% 78 $3,116   $4,523,610 9
Jul 1, 2011 31 $194,709 -20% 60 $3,245   $4,718,319 10
Jul 8, 2011 36 $141,150 -28% 49 $2,881   $4,859,469 11
Jul 15, 2011 39 $118,946 -16% 46 $2,586   $4,978,415 12
Jul 22, 2011 15 $889,930 +648% 35 $25,427   $5,067,345 13
Jul 29, 2011 50 $62,019 -93% 31 $2,001   $5,129,364 14
Aug 5, 2011 54 $57,883 -7% 28 $2,067   $5,187,247 15
Aug 12, 2011 59 $31,424 -46% 16 $1,964   $5,218,671 16
Aug 19, 2011 66 $28,676 -9% 15 $1,912   $5,247,347 17

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Brazil 2/15/2013 $0 0 6 29 $46,829 12/14/2015
Netherlands 11/29/2012 $19,001 13 13 26 $45,372 12/12/2015
Spain 6/22/2012 $0 0 4 20 $138,116 12/11/2015
Uruguay 4/13/2012 $0 0 1 4 $21,681 12/29/2018
 
Rest of World $3,812,711
 
International Total$4,064,709 12/29/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Narrator(s)

Werner Herzog Himself

Interviewee(s)

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Werner Herzog Director
Werner Herzog Screenwriter
Erik Nelson Producer
Adrienne Ciuffo Producer
Joe Bini Editor
Maya Hawke Editor
Peter Zeitlinger Cinematographer
Ernst Reijeger Composer
Dave Harding Executive Producer
Julian P. Hobbs Executive Producer
David McKillop Executive Producer
Molly Thomason Executive Producer
Amy Briamonte Co-Producer
Phil Fairclough Co-Producer
Judith Thurman Co-Producer
Nicolas Zunino Co-Producer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 29th, 2011

November 29th, 2011

It's another relatively slow week on the home market. The two biggest release of the week don't come out till Friday, while there are few other releases to pick up the slack. As for the search for best and not necessarily the biggest, there are a few contenders. Cave of Forgotten Dreams earned Oscar-worthy reviews and the 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack is a clear contender for Pick of the Week. But in the end I went with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on DVD or Blu-ray. More...

Key to the Per Theater Chart

July 26th, 2011

Sarah's Key found its way to the top of the per theater chart with $23,142 in five theaters. Another Earth was also a strong performer earning an average of $19,435 in four theaters. Captain America: The First Avenger led the way on the overall chart and earned an average of $17,512 on the per theater chart. Last week's winner, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, Part 2, fell to fourth place with $10,839. More...

Per Theater Chart Gets Real

June 21st, 2011

A trio of documentaries led the way on the per theater chart starting with Buck. This filmed earned an average of $16,887 in four theaters, which is better than expected. Page One: Inside the New York Times opened with an average of $14,456 in two theaters, while JIG was right behind with an average of $14,086 in five. The overall box office leader, Green Lantern, also topped $10,000 on the per theater chart with an average of $13,935. The Tree of Life barely managed to stay ahead of the $10,000 mark with an average of $10,121; however, it is in its fourth week of release and it is playing in more than 100 theaters, so this is a fantastic result. More...

Per Theater Chart: Beginners Begins Big but can't Top Tree

June 7th, 2011

The Tree of Life held onto top spot on the per theater chart with an average of $30,915 in 20 theaters. It will undoubtedly expand further. Beginners was right behind with an average of $28,268 in five theaters. Midnight in Paris continues to shine with an average of $18,843 in 147 theaters. It has a planned semi-wide expansion this weekend, so this is very likely the last time it will top $10,000 on the per theater chart, but it will continue to hit milestones. X-Men: First Class earned first place on the overall box office chart and fourth place on the per theater chart with $15,134. Submarine managed to top $10,000 on the per theater chart, but it was close with and average of $10,458 in four theaters. More...

Per Theater Chart is Very Lively

June 1st, 2011

It was another amazing week on the per theater chart as The Tree of Life led the way with an average of $93,230 in four theaters. This represents the best per screen average for the director and for the distributor. Add in reviews that might be Oscar-worthy, and the film should expand over the coming weeks / months. Speaking of expanding, and Oscar -worthy reviews, Midnight in Paris saw its theater count grow from 6 to 58, while its per theater average held on strong at $33,268. The overall number one film, The Hangover 2, was next with an average of $23,775, while Kung Fu Panda 2 was the only other film to cross the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart with an average of $12,142. More...

Per Theater Chart: L'Amour's In Love With Top Spot

May 17th, 2011

L'Amour Fou was the only film to top the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart, earning first place with an average of $18,625 in two theaters. The number two film on the overall box office chart, Bridesmaids, did at least come relatively close with an average of $8,995. More...

Per Theater Chart: Thor's Lonely on Top

May 10th, 2011

Thor was the only film to top the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart with an average of $16,618 in just under 4,000 theaters. Fast Five did come reasonably close to that mark with an average of $8,860, while the best limited release was Cave of Forgotten Dreams with $8,059. More...

Cave has Memorable Start on the Per Theater Chart

May 3rd, 2011

Cave of Forgotten Dreams had the best per theater average for any Werner Herzog film with an average of $27,820. The 3-D ticket prices helped, but so did the reviews. The overall number one film, Fast Five, was in second place on the per theater chart with an average of $23,655, which is a stunning result. The only other film to reach the $10,000 mark was 13 Assassins with an average of $11,464 in four theaters. More...

Don't Let Limited Releases be Forgotten

April 29th, 2011

With summer blockbusters coming, the smaller limited releases will be overshadowed. But that doesn't mean there are no films worth checking out, or that they have no potential to find an audience. Both Cave of Forgotten Dreams and 13 Assassins are earning stunning reviews and both have potential to find an audience. On the other hand, it's never easy to thrive in limited release and expanding significantly is hard at the best of times. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

For over 20,000 years, Chauvet Cave has been completely sealed off by a fallen rock face, its crystal-encrusted interior as large as a football field and strewn with the petrified remains of giant ice age mammals. In 1994, scientists discovered the caverns, and found hundreds of pristine paintings within, spectacular artwork dating back over 30,000 years (almost twice as old as any previous finds) to a time when Neanderthals still roamed the earth and cave bears, mammoths, and ice age lions were the dominant populations of Europe. Since then, only a few people have been allowed access into Chauvet Cave, and the true scope of its contents had largely gone unfelt - until Werner Herzog managed to gain access. Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth, all the while musing in his inimitable fashion about its original inhabitants, the birth of art, and the curious people surrounding the caves today.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$139,101 (2.6% of total gross)
Legs:11.24 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:56.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:5 opening theaters/123 max. theaters, 8.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $7,211,475

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 29th, 2011 (Limited) by IFC Films
International Releases: April 13th, 2012 (Wide) (Uruguay)
June 22nd, 2012 (Wide) (Spain)
November 29th, 2012 (Wide) (Netherlands)
February 15th, 2013 (Wide) (Brazil)
Video Release: November 29th, 2011 by Mpi Home Video
MPAA Rating: G
(Rating bulletin 2166, 4/6/2011)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Tangled
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: 3-D, Academics, Artists, Directing Yourself, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Academic Documentary, Paleontologist, Cavemen
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Creative Differences, History Films
Production Countries: Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Top 2011 Theater Average 31 $27,820 Apr 29, 2011 3

Narrator(s)

Werner Herzog Himself

Interviewee(s)

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Werner Herzog Director
Werner Herzog Screenwriter
Erik Nelson Producer
Adrienne Ciuffo Producer
Joe Bini Editor
Maya Hawke Editor
Peter Zeitlinger Cinematographer
Ernst Reijeger Composer
Dave Harding Executive Producer
Julian P. Hobbs Executive Producer
David McKillop Executive Producer
Molly Thomason Executive Producer
Amy Briamonte Co-Producer
Phil Fairclough Co-Producer
Judith Thurman Co-Producer
Nicolas Zunino Co-Producer

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 29th, 2011

November 29th, 2011

It's another relatively slow week on the home market. The two biggest release of the week don't come out till Friday, while there are few other releases to pick up the slack. As for the search for best and not necessarily the biggest, there are a few contenders. Cave of Forgotten Dreams earned Oscar-worthy reviews and the 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack is a clear contender for Pick of the Week. But in the end I went with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on DVD or Blu-ray. More...

Key to the Per Theater Chart

July 26th, 2011

Sarah's Key found its way to the top of the per theater chart with $23,142 in five theaters. Another Earth was also a strong performer earning an average of $19,435 in four theaters. Captain America: The First Avenger led the way on the overall chart and earned an average of $17,512 on the per theater chart. Last week's winner, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, Part 2, fell to fourth place with $10,839. More...

Per Theater Chart Gets Real

June 21st, 2011

A trio of documentaries led the way on the per theater chart starting with Buck. This filmed earned an average of $16,887 in four theaters, which is better than expected. Page One: Inside the New York Times opened with an average of $14,456 in two theaters, while JIG was right behind with an average of $14,086 in five. The overall box office leader, Green Lantern, also topped $10,000 on the per theater chart with an average of $13,935. The Tree of Life barely managed to stay ahead of the $10,000 mark with an average of $10,121; however, it is in its fourth week of release and it is playing in more than 100 theaters, so this is a fantastic result. More...

Per Theater Chart: Beginners Begins Big but can't Top Tree

June 7th, 2011

The Tree of Life held onto top spot on the per theater chart with an average of $30,915 in 20 theaters. It will undoubtedly expand further. Beginners was right behind with an average of $28,268 in five theaters. Midnight in Paris continues to shine with an average of $18,843 in 147 theaters. It has a planned semi-wide expansion this weekend, so this is very likely the last time it will top $10,000 on the per theater chart, but it will continue to hit milestones. X-Men: First Class earned first place on the overall box office chart and fourth place on the per theater chart with $15,134. Submarine managed to top $10,000 on the per theater chart, but it was close with and average of $10,458 in four theaters. More...

Per Theater Chart is Very Lively

June 1st, 2011

It was another amazing week on the per theater chart as The Tree of Life led the way with an average of $93,230 in four theaters. This represents the best per screen average for the director and for the distributor. Add in reviews that might be Oscar-worthy, and the film should expand over the coming weeks / months. Speaking of expanding, and Oscar -worthy reviews, Midnight in Paris saw its theater count grow from 6 to 58, while its per theater average held on strong at $33,268. The overall number one film, The Hangover 2, was next with an average of $23,775, while Kung Fu Panda 2 was the only other film to cross the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart with an average of $12,142. More...

Per Theater Chart: L'Amour's In Love With Top Spot

May 17th, 2011

L'Amour Fou was the only film to top the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart, earning first place with an average of $18,625 in two theaters. The number two film on the overall box office chart, Bridesmaids, did at least come relatively close with an average of $8,995. More...

Per Theater Chart: Thor's Lonely on Top

May 10th, 2011

Thor was the only film to top the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart with an average of $16,618 in just under 4,000 theaters. Fast Five did come reasonably close to that mark with an average of $8,860, while the best limited release was Cave of Forgotten Dreams with $8,059. More...

Cave has Memorable Start on the Per Theater Chart

May 3rd, 2011

Cave of Forgotten Dreams had the best per theater average for any Werner Herzog film with an average of $27,820. The 3-D ticket prices helped, but so did the reviews. The overall number one film, Fast Five, was in second place on the per theater chart with an average of $23,655, which is a stunning result. The only other film to reach the $10,000 mark was 13 Assassins with an average of $11,464 in four theaters. More...

Don't Let Limited Releases be Forgotten

April 29th, 2011

With summer blockbusters coming, the smaller limited releases will be overshadowed. But that doesn't mean there are no films worth checking out, or that they have no potential to find an audience. Both Cave of Forgotten Dreams and 13 Assassins are earning stunning reviews and both have potential to find an audience. On the other hand, it's never easy to thrive in limited release and expanding significantly is hard at the best of times. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 29, 2011 29 $139,101   5 $27,820   $139,101 1
May 6, 2011 24 $402,948 +190% 50 $8,059   $627,449 2
May 13, 2011 18 $471,933 +17% 82 $5,755   $1,315,636 3
May 20, 2011 17 $415,310 -12% 106 $3,918   $1,973,239 4
May 27, 2011 13 $431,062 +4% 118 $3,653   $2,618,534 5
Jun 3, 2011 16 $346,316 -20% 122 $2,839   $3,253,767 6
Jun 10, 2011 17 $261,390 -25% 123 $2,125   $3,727,369 7
Jun 17, 2011 20 $241,045 -8% 116 $2,078   $4,138,016 8
Jun 24, 2011 26 $142,275 -41% 75 $1,897   $4,423,277 9
Jul 1, 2011 30 $110,082 -23% 60 $1,835   $4,633,692 10
Jul 8, 2011 34 $82,074 -25% 48 $1,710   $4,800,393 11
Jul 15, 2011 45 $50,284 -39% 48 $1,048   $4,909,753 12
Jul 22, 2011 44 $54,410 +8% 38 $1,432   $5,032,515 13
Jul 29, 2011 52 $35,546 -35% 32 $1,111   $5,102,891 14
Aug 5, 2011 56 $35,189 -1% 28 $1,257   $5,164,553 15
Aug 12, 2011 63 $18,418 -48% 15 $1,228   $5,205,665 16
Aug 19, 2011 70 $16,114 -13% 15 $1,074   $5,234,785 17

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
May 23, 2011 - $53,178     106 $502   $2,026,417 25
May 30, 2011 13 $146,154   +175% 118 $1,239   $2,764,688 32
Jul 4, 2011 29 $25,820     60 $430   $4,659,512 67

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Apr 29, 2011 29 $224,501   5 $44,900   $224,501 1
May 6, 2011 22 $619,202 +176% 50 $12,384   $843,703 2
May 13, 2011 18 $714,226 +15% 82 $8,710   $1,557,929 3
May 20, 2011 17 $629,543 -12% 106 $5,939   $2,187,472 4
May 27, 2011 13 $719,979 +14% 118 $6,102   $2,907,451 5
Jun 3, 2011 17 $558,528 -22% 122 $4,578   $3,465,979 6
Jun 10, 2011 19 $430,992 -23% 123 $3,504   $3,896,971 7
Jun 17, 2011 21 $383,581 -11% 116 $3,307   $4,280,552 8
Jun 24, 2011 27 $243,058 -37% 78 $3,116   $4,523,610 9
Jul 1, 2011 31 $194,709 -20% 60 $3,245   $4,718,319 10
Jul 8, 2011 36 $141,150 -28% 49 $2,881   $4,859,469 11
Jul 15, 2011 39 $118,946 -16% 46 $2,586   $4,978,415 12
Jul 22, 2011 15 $889,930 +648% 35 $25,427   $5,067,345 13
Jul 29, 2011 50 $62,019 -93% 31 $2,001   $5,129,364 14
Aug 5, 2011 54 $57,883 -7% 28 $2,067   $5,187,247 15
Aug 12, 2011 59 $31,424 -46% 16 $1,964   $5,218,671 16
Aug 19, 2011 66 $28,676 -9% 15 $1,912   $5,247,347 17

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Brazil 2/15/2013 $0 0 6 29 $46,829 12/14/2015
Netherlands 11/29/2012 $19,001 13 13 26 $45,372 12/12/2015
Spain 6/22/2012 $0 0 4 20 $138,116 12/11/2015
Uruguay 4/13/2012 $0 0 1 4 $21,681 12/29/2018
 
Rest of World $3,812,711
 
International Total$4,064,709 12/29/2018

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.