#1 of 3 #1 action movie of December 1981
1981 · Action, Drama
$35.6M worldwide · 84% of the chart's total
$35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Action box office · December 1981
Action Box Office, December 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Sharky's Machine (1981) is the highest-grossing action movie released in December 1981, with $35.6M worldwide, ahead of The Amateur (1981) at $6.9M and Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure (1981) at $20K. 3 action films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $42.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- December 1981 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $42.5M
- Sharky's Machine (1981), the #1
- $35.6M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of December 1981?
Sharky's Machine (1981) leads with $35.6M, 84% of the total. The top 3 together took $42.5M, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of December 1981, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in December 1981.
- 1 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.6M
- 2 Dec 11, 1981 US and Canada: $6.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.9M
- 3 Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure (1981)Dec 9, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $20K
Dec 9, 1981 · Italian · Action, Adventure, Comedy $20K worldwide
By release week
Which Week of December 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 13–19) took $35.6M, led by Sharky's Machine (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 The Amateur (1981) $6.9M The Amateur (1981)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Sharky's Machine (1981) $35.6M Sharky's Machine (1981)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1981 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1978 earned the most: $397.9M from 4 films, led by Superman (1978). December 1981 took $42.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1972 2 films | 2 | $84.6M | – | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
| December 1973 2 films · −53% | 2 | $39.8M | −53% | Magnum Force (1973) $39.8M |
| December 1974 2 films · +244% | 2 | $137M | +244% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| December 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| December 1976 2 films | 2 | $97.3M | – | Silver Streak (1976) $51.1M |
| December 1977 1 film · −73% | 1 | $26.4M | −73% | The Gauntlet (1977) $26.4M |
| December 1978 4 films · +1406% | 4 | $397.9M | +1406% | Superman (1978) $300.5M |
| December 1979 2 films · −68% | 2 | $128.3M | −68% | 1941 (1979) $92.5M |
| December 1980 3 films · −24% | 3 | $97.9M | −24% | Any Which Way You Can (1980) $70.7M |
| December 1981 3 films · −57% | 3 | $42.5M | −57% | Sharky's Machine (1981) $35.6M |
Archive
Action Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: June leads with $409.6M, led by Superman II (1981).
- January $11.2K #1 Thee (1981)
- February $5.5M #1 The Dogs of War (1981)
- March $11.7M #1 Thief (1981)
- April $19.9M #1 Nighthawks (1981)
- May $17.4M #1 Outland (1981)
- June $409.6M #1 Superman II (1981)
- July $25.3M #1 Escape from New York (1981)
- August $12.6M #1 The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)
- September No grosses
- October No grosses
- November No grosses
- December $42.5M #1 Sharky's Machine (1981)
FAQ
Action Box Office December 1981: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in December 1981?
Sharky's Machine (1981) leads with $35.6M worldwide, $35.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Amateur (1981) at $6.9M and Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure (1981) at $20K.
How much did action movies released in December 1981 earn?
3 action films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $42.5M in all, or $14.2M per film on average.
How many action movies released in December 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Sharky's Machine (1981), earned $35.6M.
How is the December 1981 action box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in December 1981. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the December 1981 action box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.