8. March of the Penguins (2005)
Budget: $8,000,000. Worldwide Box Office: $127,392,693
March of the Penguins was a documentary that focused solely on Emperor Penguins and their struggle for survival in one the harshest and most hostile environments on Earth. Without any controversial material to work with, like Fahrenheit 9/11 did, the documentary only had its ability to document the journey, to evoke the story in an effective way to give a clear representation to audiences of what happens to these penguins. While the film never threatened the top spots of the box office charts, its critical acclaim was followed by audience attendance, with the film slowly racking up money both domestically and internationally. Its very small week to week drops indicated that the word of mouth surrounding the documentary had been effective in luring audiences in. With a budget of $8 million, the documentary went on to make $127 million at the box office. A great success and proves once again that with the right story to tell, documentaries have the ability to connect with audiences worldwide.
Other notable 2005 hits:
Broken Flowers Budget: $10,000,000. Worldwide Box Office: $46,720,491 The Squid And The Whale Budget: $1,500,000. Worldwide Box Office: $11,098,131 Downfall Budget: $10,000,000. Worldwide Box Office: $92,180,910