#1 of 5 #1 action movie of September 1988
1988 · Crime, Music
$3.6M worldwide · 41% of the chart's total
$3.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Action box office · September 1988
Action Box Office, September 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
Tougher Than Leather (1988) is the highest-grossing action movie released in September 1988, with $3.6M worldwide, ahead of Messenger of Death (1988) at $3.1M and The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) at $1.3M. 5 action films released in September 1988 report a worldwide gross, $8.8M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 85% on August 1988, whose releases took $58.7M. By language, English leads with $8.8M across 5 action releases.
- September 1988 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $8.8M
- Tougher Than Leather (1988), the #1
- $3.6M
- vs August 1988
- −85%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of September 1988?
Tougher Than Leather (1988) leads with $3.6M, 41% of the total. The top 5 together took $8.8M, 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
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of September 1988, 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 September 1988.
- 1 Sep 26, 1988 US and Canada: $3.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.6M
- 2 Sep 16, 1988 US and Canada: $3.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.1M
- 3 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)Sep 16, 1988 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
Sep 16, 1988 · English · Fantasy, Mystery, Action $1.3M worldwide - 4 Sep 15, 1988 US and Canada: $657.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $657.2K
- 5 Sep 16, 1988 US and Canada: $177.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $177.8K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in September 1988?
Of the top 5, Tougher Than Leather (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Seven Hours to Judgment (1988) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $8.8M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Tougher Than Leather (1988) $3.6M $3.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Messenger of Death (1988) $3.1M $3.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) $1.3M $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 War Party (1988) $657.2K $657.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Seven Hours to Judgment (1988) $177.8K $177.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of September 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 38 (Sep 11–17) took $5.2M, led by Messenger of Death (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 28–Sep 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 4–10 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 11–17 Messenger of Death (1988) $5.2M Messenger of Death (1988)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 18–24 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 25–Oct 1 Tougher Than Leather (1988) $3.6M Tougher Than Leather (1988)
Earlier years
How Does September 1988 Compare With September in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, September 1987 earned the most: $27.7M from 5 films, led by The Principal (1987). September 1988 took $8.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1979 3 films | 3 | $24.7M | – | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $21.7M |
| September 1980 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1981 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1982 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1983 2 films | 2 | $14.9M | – | Revenge of the Ninja (1983) $13.2M |
| September 1984 3 films · +64% | 3 | $24.5M | +64% | The Evil That Men Do (1984) $13.1M |
| September 1985 3 films · −24% | 3 | $18.5M | −24% | Invasion U.S.A. (1985) $17.5M |
| September 1986 1 film · −75% | 1 | $4.7M | −75% | Avenging Force (1986) $4.7M |
| September 1987 5 films · +492% | 5 | $27.7M | +492% | The Principal (1987) $19.7M |
| September 1988 5 films · −68% | 5 | $8.8M | −68% | Tougher Than Leather (1988) $3.6M |
Archive
Action Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: May leads with $498.2M, led by Crocodile Dundee II (1988).
- January $6.2M #1 Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)
- February $49.8M #1 Shoot to Kill (1988)
- March $7.4M #1 Off Limits (1988)
- April $31.9M #1 Above the Law (1988)
- May $498.2M #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- June $55.3M #1 Red Heat (1988)
- July $280.2M #1 Die Hard (1988)
- August $58.7M #1 Young Guns (1988)
- September $8.8M #1 Tougher Than Leather (1988)
- October $37.8M #1 Alien Nation (1988)
- November $13.5M #1 They Live (1988)
- December $133.1M #1 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
FAQ
Action Box Office September 1988: 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 September 1988?
Tougher Than Leather (1988) leads with $3.6M worldwide, $3.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Messenger of Death (1988) at $3.1M and The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) at $1.3M.
How much did action movies released in September 1988 earn?
5 action films released in September 1988 report a worldwide gross, $8.8M in all, or $1.8M per film on average. August 1988 releases took $58.7M.
How many action movies released in September 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Tougher Than Leather (1988), earned $3.6M.
How is the September 1988 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 September 1988. 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 September 1988 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.