Domestic Box Office For April 1981
| Rank | Release | Gross | Max Th | Opening | % of Total | Open Th | Open | Close | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excalibur | $34,967,437 | 692 | $4,519,706 | 12.9% | 692 | Apr 10 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 2 | Friday the 13th: Part 2 | $21,722,776 | 1,350 | $6,429,784 | 29.6% | 1,350 | Apr 30 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 3 | The Howling | $17,985,893 | - | - | - | - | Apr 10 | - | Embassy Pictures |
| 4 | Caveman | $15,965,924 | - | - | - | - | Apr 17 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 5 | Nighthawks | $14,905,359 | 659 | $2,525,360 | 16.9% | 659 | Apr 10 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | Atlantic City | $12,729,675 | - | - | - | - | Apr 3 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 7 | Going Ape! | $5,504,218 | - | - | - | - | Apr 10 | - | Paramount Pictures |
| 8 | The Hand | $2,447,576 | 183 | $566,736 | 23.2% | 183 | Apr 24 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 9 | This Is Elvis | $2,028,612 | 309 | $429,146 | 21.2% | 309 | Apr 10 | - | Warner Bros. |
| 10 | From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China | $1,205,934 | - | - | - | - | Apr 10 | - | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| 11 | Beyond the Reef | $547,525 | - | - | - | - | Apr 24 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 12 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | $534,816 | 215 | $115,679 | 21.6% | 215 | Apr 24 | - | Universal Pictures |
| 13 | Second-Hand Hearts | $19,450 | - | - | - | - | Apr 24 | - | Paramount Pictures |
