1981 Worldwide Box Office

RankRelease Group WorldwideDomestic%Foreign%
1Superman II$216,385,706$108,185,70650%$108,200,00050%
2Raiders of the Lost Ark$212,222,025$212,222,025100%--
3On Golden Pond$119,285,432$119,285,432100%--
4Arthur$95,461,682$95,461,682100%--
5Stripes$85,297,000$85,297,000100%--
6The Cannonball Run$72,179,579$72,179,579100%--
7Chariots of Fire$58,972,904$58,972,904100%--
8For Your Eyes Only$54,812,948$54,812,802100%--
9The Four Seasons$50,427,646$50,427,646100%--
10Time Bandits$42,365,581$42,365,581100%--
11Clash of the Titans$41,092,328$41,092,328100%--
12Absence of Malice$40,716,963$40,716,963100%--
13Reds$40,382,788$40,382,659100%$129<0.1%
14The Fox and the Hound$39,900,000$39,900,000100%--
15Tarzan the Ape Man$36,565,280$36,565,280100%--
16Taps$35,856,053$35,856,053100%--
17Sharky's Machine$35,610,100$35,610,100100%--
18Excalibur$34,967,437$34,967,437100%--
19Endless Love$32,492,674$31,184,02496%$1,308,6504%
20History of the World: Part I$31,672,907$31,672,907100%--
21Bustin' Loose$31,261,269$31,261,269100%--
22The Great Muppet Caper$31,206,251$31,206,251100%--
23An American Werewolf in London$30,683,872$30,565,29299.6%$115,9740.4%
24Neighbors$29,916,207$29,916,207100%--
25Fort Apache the Bronx$29,200,000$29,200,000100%--
26Cinderella 1981 Re-release$28,040,000$28,040,000100%--
27The French Lieutenant's Woman$26,890,068$26,890,068100%--
28Private Lessons$26,279,000$26,279,000100%--
29Modern Problems$26,154,211$26,154,211100%--
30Halloween II$25,533,818$25,533,818100%--
31Only When I Laugh$25,524,778$25,524,778100%--
32Escape from New York$25,244,626$25,244,626100%--
33Body Heat$24,058,838$24,058,838100%--
34Ghost Story$23,371,905$23,371,905100%--
35Friday the 13th Part 2$21,722,776$21,722,776100%--
36The Final Conflict$20,471,382$20,471,382100%--
37The Incredible Shrinking Woman$20,259,961$20,259,961100%--
38Mommie Dearest$19,032,603$19,032,261100%--
39Paternity$18,838,812$18,838,812100%--
40Under the Rainbow$18,826,490$18,826,490100%--
41The Howling$17,985,893$17,985,893100%--
42Eye of the Needle$17,583,634$17,583,634100%--
43Take This Job and Shove It$17,569,027$17,569,027100%--
44Outland$17,374,595$17,374,595100%--
45The Devil and Max Devlin$16,000,000$16,000,000100%--
46Caveman$15,965,924$15,965,924100%--
47Continental Divide$15,578,237$15,578,237100%--
48The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia$14,923,752$14,923,752100%--
49Ragtime$14,920,781$14,920,781100%--
50Nighthawks$14,905,359$14,905,359100%--
51S.O.B.$14,867,086$14,867,086100%--
52Rich and Famous$14,492,125$14,492,125100%--
53Scanners$14,225,876$14,225,876100%--
54Dragonslayer$14,110,013$14,110,013100%--
55True Confessions$12,850,276$12,850,276100%--
56Atlantic City$12,729,675$12,729,675100%--
57The Legend of the Lone Ranger$12,617,845$12,617,845100%--
58First Monday in October$12,480,249$12,480,249100%--
59The Postman Always Rings Twice$12,383,416$12,376,62599.9%$6,791<0.1%
60Blow Out$12,000,000$12,000,000100%--
61Back Roads$11,809,387$11,809,387100%--
62Thief$11,492,915$11,492,915100%--
63Victory$10,853,418$10,853,418100%--
64Rollover$10,851,261$10,851,261100%--
65Wolfen$10,626,725$10,626,725100%--
66Carbon Copy$9,566,593$9,566,593100%--
67Pennies from Heaven$9,171,289$9,171,289100%--
68Deadly Blessing$8,279,042$8,279,042100%--
69Whose Life Is It Anyway?$8,206,145$8,206,145100%--
70Prince of the City$8,124,257$8,124,257100%--
71The Funhouse$7,886,857$7,886,857100%--
72Buddy Buddy$7,258,543$7,258,543100%--
73La Cage aux Folles II$6,950,125$6,950,125100%--
74...All the Marbles$6,468,195$6,468,195100%--
75Eyewitness$6,400,000$6,400,000100%--
76Gallipoli$5,734,249$5,732,587100%--
77My Bloody Valentine$5,672,031$5,672,031100%--
78Going Ape!$5,504,218$5,504,218100%--
79The Dogs of War$5,484,132$5,484,132100%--
80Student Bodies$5,165,432$5,165,432100%--
81The Watcher in the Woods$5,000,000$5,000,000100%--
82All Night Long$4,454,295$4,454,295100%--
83The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper$3,702,028$3,702,028100%--
84Zoot Suit$3,256,082$3,256,082100%--
85The Fan$3,082,096$3,082,096100%--
86The Last Metro$3,007,436$3,007,436100%--
87Gas$2,869,425$2,869,425100%--
88Modern Romance$2,863,642$2,863,642100%--
89The Hand$2,447,576$2,447,576100%--
90Heartbeeps$2,154,696$2,154,696100%--
91This Is Elvis$2,028,612$2,028,612100%--
92Sphinx$2,022,771$2,022,771100%--
93Honky Tonk Freeway$2,004,742$2,004,742100%--
94Raggedy Man$1,976,198$1,976,198100%--
95King of the Mountain$1,791,147$1,791,147100%--
96Cutter's Way$1,729,274$1,729,274100%--
97Silence of the North$1,622,898$1,622,898100%--
98From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China$1,205,934$1,205,934100%--
99Night School$1,169,875$1,169,875100%--
100Eyes of a Stranger$1,118,634$1,118,634100%--
101Herbie Goes Bananas 1981 Re-release$1,000,000$1,000,000100%--
102Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo 1981 Re-release$1,000,000$1,000,000100%--
103Sunday Lovers$621,931$621,931100%--
104Beyond the Reef$549,931$547,52599.6%$2,4060.4%
105Cattle Annie and Little Britches$534,816$534,816100%--
106Hard Country$534,653$534,653100%--
107Man of Iron$492,035$492,035100%--
108Kelly$469,777$469,777100%--
109Freaky Friday 1981 Re-release$300,000$300,000100%--
110The Sea Wolves$220,181$220,181100%--
111Second-Hand Hearts$19,450$19,450100%--
112Glen or Glenda 1981 Re-release$10,158$10,158100%--
113Polyester$2,643----
114That Obscure Object of Desire$809--$809100%
115Dissolute Wife$785--$785100%