#1 of 9 #1 action movie of August 1986
1986 · Action, Adventure
$38M worldwide · 49% of the chart's total
$16.3M US & Canada · 43% $21.7M elsewhere · 57%
Action box office · August 1986
Action Box Office, August 1986: Top-Grossing Releases
Howard the Duck (1986) is the highest-grossing action movie released in August 1986, with $38M worldwide, ahead of Armed and Dangerous (1986) at $15.9M and A Fine Mess (1986) at $6M. 9 action films released in August 1986 report a worldwide gross, $77.3M in all, 65% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 50% on July 1986, whose releases took $154.7M. By language, English leads with $72.3M across 8 action releases.
- August 1986 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $77.3M
- Howard the Duck (1986), the #1
- $38M
- vs July 1986
- −50%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of August 1986?
Howard the Duck (1986) leads with $38M, 49% of the total. The top 5 together took $70.8M, 92% of what all 9 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 1986, 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 1986.
- 1 Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $16.3M Rest of the world: $21.7M Worldwide: $38M
- 2 Aug 15, 1986 US and Canada: $15.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.9M
- 3 Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M
- 4 The Transformers: The Movie (1986)Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: $12.9K Worldwide: $5.9M
Aug 8, 1986 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $5.9M worldwide - 5 Aug 2, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5M
- 6
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $3.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.4M - 7
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M - 8
Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $136.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $136.2K - 9
Aug 13, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in August 1986?
Of the top 9, Armed and Dangerous (1986) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Howard the Duck (1986) made 57% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $50.6M (65%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Howard the Duck (1986) $38M $16.3M US & Canada · 43% $21.7M elsewhere · 57%
- 2 Armed and Dangerous (1986) $15.9M $15.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 A Fine Mess (1986) $6M $6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Transformers: The Movie (1986) $5.9M $5.8M US & Canada · 100% $12.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 5 A Better Tomorrow (1986) $5M No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Born American (1986) $3.4M $3.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Bullies (1986) $3M $3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Stewardess School (1986) $136.2K $136.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Dead End Drive-In (1986) $1.3K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of August 1986 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 31 (Jul 27–Aug 2) took $43.1M, led by Howard the Duck (1986). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 27–Aug 2 Howard the Duck (1986) $43.1M Howard the Duck (1986)
- Week 32 Wk 32 Aug 3–9 A Fine Mess (1986) $11.9M A Fine Mess (1986)
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 10–16 Armed and Dangerous (1986) $15.9M Armed and Dangerous (1986)
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 17–23 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 24–30 Born American (1986) $6.4M Born American (1986)
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 31–Sep 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does August 1986 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 1986 took $77.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| August 1986 9 films · +106% | 9 | $77.3M | +106% | Howard the Duck (1986) $38M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in August 1986?
English-language action films took $72.3M across 8 films, 94% of the total, ahead of Cantonese-language action films ($5M).
August 1986 Action Box Office by Language
- English $72.3M8 films · #1 Howard the Duck (1986)
-
Cantonese $5M1 film · #1 A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Archive
Action Box Office in 1986, Month by Month
The months of 1986 with their totals: May leads with $422.3M, led by Top Gun (1986).
- January $43.1M #1 Iron Eagle (1986)
- February $39M #1 F/X (1986)
- March $10.4M #1 Highlander (1986)
- April $18.6M #1 Murphy’s Law (1986)
- May $422.3M #1 Top Gun (1986)
- June $170.6M #1 The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
- July $154.7M #1 Aliens (1986)
- August $77.3M #1 Howard the Duck (1986)
- September $4.7M #1 Avenging Force (1986)
- October $351.6K #1 Weekend Warriors (1986)
- November $17M #1 Firewalker (1986)
- December $131M #1 The Golden Child (1986)
FAQ
Action Box Office August 1986: 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 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in August 1986?
Howard the Duck (1986) leads with $38M worldwide, $16.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Armed and Dangerous (1986) at $15.9M and A Fine Mess (1986) at $6M.
How much did action movies released in August 1986 earn?
9 action films released in August 1986 report a worldwide gross, $77.3M in all, or $8.6M per film on average. July 1986 releases took $154.7M.
How many action movies released in August 1986 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Howard the Duck (1986), earned $38M.
How is the August 1986 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 1986. 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 1986 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.