Highest Grossing Movies of 1981
Ranked by lifetime worldwide gross. ← Back to leaderboards
Films from 1981 tracked
131
Top 100 1981 revenue
$2.85B
Top film
Raiders of the Lost Ark
$389.9M
- 1
$389.9M$18M21.7×Raiders of the Lost Ark
$389.9M · $18M
- 2
$195.3M$28M6.97×For Your Eyes Only
$195.3M · $28M
- 3
$160M$4M40.0×Porky's
$160M · $4M
- 4
$119.3M$15M7.95×On Golden Pond
$119.3M · $15M
- 5
$95.5M$7M13.6×Arthur
$95.5M · $7M
- 6
$85.3M$10M8.53×Stripes
$85.3M · $10M
- 7
$85M$14M6.07×Das Boot
$85M · $14M
- 8
$72.2M$18M4.01×The Cannonball Run
$72.2M · $18M
- 9
$65.2M$10M6.52×Fort Apache, the Bronx
$65.2M · $10M
- 10
$59M$5.5M10.7×Chariots of Fire
$59M · $5.5M
- 11
$55.3M$12M4.61×Quest for Fire
$55.3M · $12M
- 12
$50.4M——The Four Seasons
$50.4M
- 13
$50.2M$6M8.37×Escape from New York
$50.2M · $6M
- 14
$42.4M$5M8.47×Time Bandits
$42.4M · $5M
- 15
$41.1M$12M3.42×Clash of the Titans
$41.1M · $12M
- 16
$40.7M$12M3.39×Absence of Malice
$40.7M · $12M
- 17
$40.4M$35M1.15×Reds
$40.4M · $35M
- 18
$37M——Nice Dreams
$37M
- 19
$36.6M——Tarzan the Ape Man
$36.6M
- 20
$35.9M$14M2.56×Taps
$35.9M · $14M
- 21
$35.6M$17.5M2.03×Sharky's Machine
$35.6M · $17.5M
- 22
$35M$11M3.18×Excalibur
$35M · $11M
- 23
$32.5M——Endless Love
$32.5M
- 24
$32M$10M3.20×An American Werewolf in London
$32M · $10M
- 25
$31.7M$10M3.17×History of the World: Part I
$31.7M · $10M
- 26
$31.3M$11M2.85×Bustin' Loose
$31.3M · $11M
- 27
$31.2M$14M2.23×The Great Muppet Caper
$31.2M · $14M
- 28
$29.9M$8.5M3.52×Neighbors
$29.9M · $8.5M
- 29
$29.8M$12M2.48×The Fox and the Hound
$29.8M · $12M
- 30
$29.6M$350K84.6×The Evil Dead
$29.6M · $350K
- 31
$27.5M$10M2.75×Escape to Victory
$27.5M · $10M
- 32
$27.3M——Doraemon: The Record of Nobita, Spaceblazer
$27.3M
- 33
$26.3M$2.8M9.39×Private Lessons
$26.3M · $2.8M
- 34
$26.2M$8M3.27×Modern Problems
$26.2M · $8M
- 35
$25.5M$2.5M10.2×Halloween II
$25.5M · $2.5M
- 36
$24.6M$2M12.3×Mad Max 2
$24.6M · $2M
- 37
$24.1M$9M2.67×Body Heat
$24.1M · $9M
- 38
$21.7M$1.3M17.4×Friday the 13th Part 2
$21.7M · $1.3M
- 39
$20.5M$5M4.09×The Final Conflict
$20.5M · $5M
- 40
$20.1M$9.3M2.16×Heavy Metal
$20.1M · $9.3M
- 41
$19.9M$5M3.98×Nighthawks
$19.9M · $5M
- 42
$19M$5M3.81×Mommie Dearest
$19M · $5M
- 43
$18.8M$9M2.09×Paternity
$18.8M · $9M
- 44
$18M——Eye of the Needle
$18M
- 45
$18M$1M18.0×The Howling
$18M · $1M
- 46
$17.4M$2.6M6.69×Gallipoli
$17.4M · $2.6M
- 47
$17.4M$18M0.97×Outland
$17.4M · $18M
- 48
$16M——The Devil and Max Devlin
$16M
- 49
$16M——Caveman
$16M
- 50
$15.6M——Continental Divide
$15.6M
- 51
$14.9M——The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
$14.9M
- 52
$14.2M$4.1M3.47×Scanners
$14.2M · $4.1M
- 53
$14.1M$18M0.78×Dragonslayer
$14.1M · $18M
- 54
$12.5M——First Monday in October
$12.5M
- 55
$12.4M$12M1.03×The Postman Always Rings Twice
$12.4M · $12M
- 56
$12M$18M0.67×Blow Out
$12M · $18M
- 57
$12M——The Imperial Navy
$12M
- 58
$11.8M——Back Roads
$11.8M
- 59
$11.5M——Mobile Suit Gundam I
$11.5M
- 60
$11.5M$5.5M2.09×Thief
$11.5M · $5.5M
- 61
$10.6M$17M0.63×Wolfen
$10.6M · $17M
- 62
$10.6M$3.5M3.03×Happy Birthday to Me
$10.6M · $3.5M
- 63
$10.2M——Rollover
$10.2M
- 64
$10.2M$12.6M0.81×Zorro, The Gay Blade
$10.2M · $12.6M
- 65
$10M——All Night Long
$10M
- 66
$9.8M——So Fine
$9.8M
- 67
$9.6M$6M1.59×Carbon Copy
$9.6M · $6M
- 68
$9.2M$22M0.42×Pennies from Heaven
$9.2M · $22M
- 69
$8.8M——Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow
$8.8M
- 70
$8.1M$8.6M0.94×Prince of the City
$8.1M · $8.6M
- 71
$7.9M$2M3.94×The Funhouse
$7.9M · $2M
- 72
$7.7M——An Eye for an Eye
$7.7M
- 73
$7.3M——The Marquis of Grillo
$7.3M
- 74
$7.3M$10M0.73×Buddy Buddy
$7.3M · $10M
- 75
$6.9M$8.3M0.83×The Amateur
$6.9M · $8.3M
- 76
$6.1M$11.5M0.53×Whose Life Is It Anyway?
$6.1M · $11.5M
- 77
$6M$1.5M4.00×American Pop
$6M · $1.5M
- 78
$5.7M$2.2M2.58×My Bloody Valentine
$5.7M · $2.2M
- 79
$5.3M$475K11.1×My Dinner with Andre
$5.3M · $475K
- 80
$5.2M$46M0.11×Inchon
$5.2M · $46M
- 81
$5.2M——Student Bodies
$5.2M
- 82
$5.1M$11.5M0.44×Rich and Famous
$5.1M · $11.5M
- 83
$5M$10M0.50×Death Hunt
$5M · $10M
- 84
$4.5M$8.5M0.53×Eyewitness
$4.5M · $8.5M
- 85
$4M$14M0.29×Green Ice
$4M · $14M
- 86
$3.8M——Fracchia The Human Beast
$3.8M
- 87
$3.3M——Looker
$3.3M
- 88
$3.3M——Zoot Suit
$3.3M
- 89
$3.2M——Naseeb
$3.2M
- 90
$3.1M$3M1.03×Lady Chatterley's Lover
$3.1M · $3M
- 91
$3.1M$10M0.31×The Fan
$3.1M · $10M
- 92
$3M$1.5M2.00×Fear No Evil
$3M · $1.5M
- 93
$3M$374K8.02×Final Exam
$3M · $374K
- 94
$2.9M$18M0.16×The Legend of the Lone Ranger
$2.9M · $18M
- 95
$2.9M——Diva
$2.9M
- 96
$2.8M——Hum Se Badkar Kaun
$2.8M
- 97
$2.7M——The French Lieutenant's Woman
$2.7M
- 98
$2.4M$60K—Umrao Jaan
$2.4M · $60K
- 99
$2.3M$20M0.11×Under the Rainbow
$2.3M · $20M
- 100
$2.2M$12M0.18×Heartbeeps
$2.2M · $12M