#1 of 5 #1 action movie of August 1985
1985 · Action, Drama
$18.7M worldwide · 50% of the chart's total
$18.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Action box office · August 1985
Action Box Office, August 1985: Top-Grossing Releases
Year of the Dragon (1985) is the highest-grossing action movie released in August 1985, with $18.7M worldwide, ahead of American Ninja (1985) at $10.5M and My Science Project (1985) at $4.1M. 5 action films released in August 1985 report a worldwide gross, $37.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 62% on July 1985, whose releases took $99.8M. By language, English leads with $33.3M across 4 action releases.
- August 1985 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $37.5M
- Year of the Dragon (1985), the #1
- $18.7M
- vs July 1985
- −62%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of August 1985?
Year of the Dragon (1985) leads with $18.7M, 50% of the total. The top 5 together took $37.5M, 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
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of August 1985, 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 August 1985.
- 1 Aug 16, 1985 US and Canada: $18.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.7M
- 2 Aug 30, 1985 US and Canada: $10.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.5M
- 3 Aug 9, 1985 US and Canada: $4.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.1M
- 4 Aug 23, 1985 US and Canada: $4.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.1M
- 5 Aug 15, 1985 US and Canada: $7.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.7K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in August 1985?
Of the top 5, Year of the Dragon (1985) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Space Rage (1985) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $37.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Year of the Dragon (1985) $18.7M $18.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 American Ninja (1985) $10.5M $10.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 My Science Project (1985) $4.1M $4.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Godzilla 1985 (1985) $4.1M $4.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Space Rage (1985) $7.7K $7.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of August 1985 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 33 (Aug 11–17) took $18.7M, led by Year of the Dragon (1985). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 28–Aug 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 32 Wk 32 Aug 4–10 My Science Project (1985) $4.1M My Science Project (1985)
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 11–17 Year of the Dragon (1985) $18.7M Year of the Dragon (1985)
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 18–24 Godzilla 1985 (1985) $4.1M Godzilla 1985 (1985)
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 25–31 American Ninja (1985) $10.5M American Ninja (1985)
Earlier years
How Does August 1985 Compare With August in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, August 1979 earned the most: $128.2M from 4 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979). August 1985 took $37.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1976 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| August 1977 1 film | 1 | $46.9M | – | The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) $46.9M |
| August 1978 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| August 1979 4 films | 4 | $128.2M | – | Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M |
| August 1980 4 films · −8% | 4 | $118M | −8% | Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) $66.1M |
| August 1981 2 films · −89% | 2 | $12.6M | −89% | The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) $12.6M |
| August 1982 2 films · +179% | 2 | $35.2M | +179% | Things Are Tough All Over (1982) $21.1M |
| August 1983 2 films · −63% | 2 | $13.1M | −63% | Hercules (1983) $10.7M |
| August 1984 3 films · +314% | 3 | $54.4M | +314% | Red Dawn (1984) $38.4M |
| August 1985 5 films · −31% | 5 | $37.5M | −31% | Year of the Dragon (1985) $18.7M |
Archive
Action Box Office in 1985, Month by Month
The months of 1985 with their totals: May leads with $393.7M, led by Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
- January $15M #1 Tuff Turf (1985)
- February $11.2M #1 Into the Night (1985)
- March $59M #1 The Last Dragon (1985)
- April $8.5M #1 Stick (1985)
- May $393.7M #1 Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
- June $44.9M #1 The Emerald Forest (1985)
- July $99.8M #1 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
- August $37.5M #1 Year of the Dragon (1985)
- September $18.5M #1 Invasion U.S.A. (1985)
- October $72M #1 Commando (1985)
- November $58.3M #1 To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
- December $113.5M #1 The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
FAQ
Action Box Office August 1985: 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 August 1985?
Year of the Dragon (1985) leads with $18.7M worldwide, $18.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come American Ninja (1985) at $10.5M and My Science Project (1985) at $4.1M.
How much did action movies released in August 1985 earn?
5 action films released in August 1985 report a worldwide gross, $37.5M in all, or $7.5M per film on average. July 1985 releases took $99.8M.
How many action movies released in August 1985 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Year of the Dragon (1985), earned $18.7M.
How is the August 1985 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 August 1985. 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 August 1985 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.