Oscars

These foreign films made millions in the US: you won’t believe No. 1

From Life is Beautiful to Godzilla Minus One, learn about the non-English language films that have had the greatest success in the United States.

| AP

Daniela Barrera Calum Roche

Estados Unidos Update: Feb 26th, 2025 07:09 EST

Hollywood is synonymous with the film industry. However, in recent decades, international films have gained greater resonance among American audiences, with non-English language productions making their way into the highest-grossing movies in the United States.

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With the aim of “promoting a close relationship between American cinema and those of other countries,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences created the category of ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at the Oscars in 1956. Through this category, the best non-English language productions of the year are recognised. In 2019, ‘Parasite’ made history by becoming the first and only foreign language film to win the Oscar for “Best Picture,” setting a precedent for international cinema.

‘Parasite’ (2019) not only triumphed at the Academy Awards. Bong Joon-ho’s film also dominated the box office in the United States, becoming one of the most successful foreign films in history, although the top spot in terms of revenue still belongs to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

Top grossing foreign language films in the United States

Below, we share the list of the 10 highest-grossing non-English language films in the United States, according to the IMDB and Mojo databases:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, China): $128,078,872 raised
Life Is Beautiful (1998, Italy): $57,247,384 raised
Godzilla Minus One (2023, Japan): $56,418,793 raised
Hero: (2004, China): $53,710,019 raised
Parasite (2019, South Korea): $53,369,749 raised
Instructions Not Included (2013, Mexico): $44,467,206 raised
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Spain): $37,634,615 raised
Amélie (2001, France): $33,225,499 raised
Fearless (2006, China): $24,633,730 raised
The Postman (1995): $21,848,932 raised

Foreign films nominated for an Oscar in 2025

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While none of the foreign films nominated for Oscars this year managed to break box office records – at least not yet – many of them will go down in history for their high impact on critics. Here are the non-English language films nominated for the 97th Academy Awards:

I'm Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)

The Oscars stand as the pinnacle of recognition within the realm of international cinema. Drawing in an array of luminaries from the silver screen, including revered social figures, alongside a cavalcade of music icons, sports personalities, and other celebrities, the event dazzles with its renowned red carpet, where attendees showcase their finest attire while revelling in the grandeur of the ceremony. You can follow it all live right here on AS USA on Sunday evening.