#1 of 5 #1 action movie of May 1983
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
1983 · Action, Adventure
$482.5M worldwide · 88% of the chart's total
$316.6M US & Canada · 66% $165.9M elsewhere · 34%
Action box office · May 1983
Action Box Office, May 1983: Top-Grossing Releases
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) is the highest-grossing action movie released in May 1983, with $482.5M worldwide, ahead of Blue Thunder (1983) at $42.3M and Breathless (1983) at $19.9M. 5 action films released in May 1983 report a worldwide gross, $550.8M in all, 70% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 34.6 times the total of April 1983, whose releases took $15.9M. By language, English leads with $530.9M across 3 action releases.
- May 1983 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $550.8M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs April 1983
- ×34.6
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of May 1983?
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) leads with $482.5M, 88% of the total. The top 5 together took $550.8M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1 $482.5M Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)$316.6M US & Canada · 66% $165.9M elsewhere · 34%
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Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of May 1983, 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 May 1983.
- 1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)May 25, 1983 US and Canada: $316.6M Rest of the world: $165.9M Worldwide: $482.5M
May 25, 1983 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $482.5M worldwide - 2 May 13, 1983 US and Canada: $42.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $42.3M
- 3 May 13, 1983 US and Canada: $19.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19.9M
- 4 May 27, 1983 US and Canada: $6.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.1M
- 5 May 28, 1983 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $87
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1983?
Of the top 5, Blue Thunder (1983) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) made 34% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $384.9M (70%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M $316.6M US & Canada · 66% $165.9M elsewhere · 34%
- 2 Blue Thunder (1983) $42.3M $42.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Breathless (1983) $19.9M $19.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Chained Heat (1983) $6.1M $6.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Golgo 13: The Professional (1983) $87 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1983 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 22 (May 22–28) took $488.6M, led by Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 1–7 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 8–14 Blue Thunder (1983) $62.2M Blue Thunder (1983)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 15–21 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 22–28 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $488.6M Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 29–Jun 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1983 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1977 earned the most: $902.1M from 2 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). May 1983 took $550.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1974 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1975 2 films | 2 | $26.7M | – | The Eiger Sanction (1975) $14.2M |
| May 1976 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1977 2 films | 2 | $902.1M | – | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M |
| May 1978 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1980 2 films | 2 | $564.7M | – | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $550M |
| May 1981 1 film · −97% | 1 | $17.4M | −97% | Outland (1981) $17.4M |
| May 1982 4 films · +481% | 4 | $101M | +481% | Conan the Barbarian (1982) $68.9M |
| May 1983 5 films · +446% | 5 | $550.8M | +446% | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M |
Archive
Action Box Office in 1983, Month by Month
The months of 1983 with their totals: May leads with $550.8M, led by Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).
- January No grosses
- February $1.7K #1 Midnite Spares (1983)
- March $1.3M #1 Eddie Macon’s Run (1983)
- April $15.9M #1 Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)
- May $550.8M #1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- June $152.5M #1 Superman III (1983)
- July $29.9M #1 Krull (1983)
- August $13.1M #1 Hercules (1983)
- September $14.9M #1 Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
- October $91.5M #1 Never Say Never Again (1983)
- November No grosses
- December $182.2M #1 Sudden Impact (1983)
FAQ
Action Box Office May 1983: 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in May 1983?
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) leads with $482.5M worldwide, $316.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Blue Thunder (1983) at $42.3M and Breathless (1983) at $19.9M.
How much did action movies released in May 1983 earn?
5 action films released in May 1983 report a worldwide gross, $550.8M in all, or $110.2M per film on average. April 1983 releases took $15.9M.
How many action movies released in May 1983 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) with $482.5M.
How is the May 1983 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 May 1983. 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 May 1983 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.