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Animation box office · 1989

Animation Box Office 1989: Highest-Grossing Animation Movies

The Little Mermaid (1989) is the highest-grossing animation movie released in 1989, with $211.3M worldwide, ahead of Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) at $10.4M and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) at $1.4M. 11 animation films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $226.7M in all, 51% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 57% on 1988, whose releases took $530.1M. By language, English leads with $212.8M across 4 animation releases.

1989 releases with a gross
11
combined worldwide
$226.7M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1988
−57%
The Little Mermaid (1989) movie poster #1 of 11
#1 animation movie of 1989

The Little Mermaid (1989)

1989 · Family, Animation

$211.3M worldwide · 93% of the chart's total

$111.5M US & Canada · 53% $99.8M elsewhere · 47%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Animation Hits of 1989?

The Little Mermaid (1989) leads with $211.3M, 93% of the total. The top 5 together took $225.3M, 99% of what all 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Little Mermaid (1989) movie poster Number 1
    $211.3M The Little Mermaid (1989)
    $111.5M US & Canada · 53% $99.8M elsewhere · 47%
  2. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) movie poster Number 2
    $10.4M Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
    $1M US & Canada · 10% $9.4M elsewhere · 90%
  3. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) movie poster Number 3
    $1.4M Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
    $1.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Babar: The Movie (1989) movie poster Number 4
    $1.3M Babar: The Movie (1989)
    $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) movie poster Number 5
    $841.6K Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
    $517K US & Canada · 61% $324.7K elsewhere · 39%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Animation Release of 1989, 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 1989.

  1. 1 The Little Mermaid (1989) movie poster
    The Little Mermaid (1989) Nov 15, 1989 · English · Family, Animation, Fantasy $211.3M worldwide
    Nov 15, 1989 US and Canada: $111.5M Rest of the world: $99.8M Worldwide: $211.3M
  2. 2 Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) movie poster
    Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) Jul 29, 1989 · Japanese · Adventure, Drama, Fantasy $10.4M worldwide
    Jul 29, 1989 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $9.4M Worldwide: $10.4M
  3. 3 Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) movie poster
    Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) Jul 15, 1989 · Japanese · Fantasy, Family, Animation $1.4M worldwide
    Jul 15, 1989 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M
  4. 4 Babar: The Movie (1989) movie poster
    Babar: The Movie (1989) Jul 28, 1989 · English · Animation, Fantasy, Family $1.3M worldwide
    Jul 28, 1989 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
  5. 5 Grave of the Fireflies (1988) movie poster
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Jul 26, 1989 · Japanese · Animation, Drama, War $841.6K worldwide
    Jul 26, 1989 US and Canada: $517K Rest of the world: $324.7K Worldwide: $841.6K
  6. 6 Patlabor: The Movie (1989) movie poster
    Patlabor: The Movie (1989) Jul 15, 1989 · Japanese · Sci-Fi, Action, Mystery $579K worldwide
    Jul 15, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $579K
  7. 7 Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989) movie poster
    Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989) Mar 11, 1989 · Japanese · Animation, Fantasy, Adventure $521.9K worldwide
    Mar 11, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $521.9K
  8. 8 Mobile Suit SD Gundam’s Counterattack (1989) movie poster
    Mobile Suit SD Gundam’s Counterattack (1989) Jul 15, 1989 · Japanese · Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action $150K worldwide
    Jul 15, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $150K
  9. 9 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989) movie poster
    25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989) Jun 1, 1989 · English · Comedy, Animation $124K worldwide
    Jun 1, 1989 US and Canada: $124K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $124K
  10. 10 The Cow (1989) movie poster
    The Cow (1989) Jul 17, 1989 · Russian · Drama, Animation $45.2K worldwide
    Jul 17, 1989 US and Canada: $45.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $45.2K
  11. 11 Juke-Bar (1989) movie poster
    Juke-Bar (1989) 1989 · English · Animation $45.2K worldwide
    1989 US and Canada: $45.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $45.2K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1989?

Of the top 10, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) made 90% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $116M (51%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Little Mermaid (1989) $211.3M
    $111.5M US & Canada · 53% $99.8M elsewhere · 47%
  2. 2 Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) $10.4M
    $1M US & Canada · 10% $9.4M elsewhere · 90%
  3. 3 Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) $1.4M
    $1.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Babar: The Movie (1989) $1.3M
    $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Grave of the Fireflies (1988) $841.6K
    $517K US & Canada · 61% $324.7K elsewhere · 39%
  6. 6 Patlabor: The Movie (1989) $579K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989) $521.9K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Mobile Suit SD Gundam’s Counterattack (1989) $150K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989) $124K
    $124K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 The Cow (1989) $45.2K
    $45.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many 1989 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 11 films crossed $100M and took $211.3M between them, 93% of the total. 9 films, 82% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $100M to $500M 1 film, 9% of the list $211.3M · 93% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 1 film, 9% of the list $10.4M · 5% of the gross
  • Under $10M 9 films, 82% of the list $5M · 2% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1989 Earned the Most?

November releases took the most, $211.3M from 1 film, led by The Little Mermaid (1989). January was the quietest month ($45.2K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Juke-Bar (1989) $45.2K Juke-Bar (1989)
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989) $521.9K Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989) $124K 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989)
  7. July Jul Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) $14.7M Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov The Little Mermaid (1989) $211.3M The Little Mermaid (1989)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1989 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1988 earned the most: $530.1M from 10 films, led by Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). 1989 took $226.7M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1980 2 films 2 $2.2M – Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (1980) $2M
1981 2 films · +2835% 2 $64M +2835% The Fox and the Hound (1981) $63.5M
1982 5 films · −47% 5 $34M −47% Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) $22.3M
1983 3 films · −98% 3 $791.3K −98% Fire and Ice (1983) $760.9K
1984 No films 0 – – –
1985 9 films 9 $68.9M – The Care Bears Movie (1985) $22.9M
1986 12 films · +117% 12 $149.6M +117% An American Tail (1986) $84.5M
1987 10 films · −79% 10 $31.6M −79% The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1987) $13.3M
1988 10 films · +1576% 10 $530.1M +1576% Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) $329.8M
1989 11 films · −57% 11 $226.7M −57% The Little Mermaid (1989) $211.3M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Animation Movies Speak in 1989?

English-language animation films took $212.8M across 4 films, 94% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language animation films ($13.9M) and Russian-language animation films ($45.2K).

1989 Animation Box Office by Language

  1. English $212.8M
    4 films · #1 The Little Mermaid (1989)
  2. Japanese $13.9M
    6 films · #1 Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
  3. Russian $45.2K
    1 film · #1 The Cow (1989)
Archive

Animation Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1938 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $7.5B, led by The Lion King (2019).

2020s 7 years · $23.8B
2010s 10 years · $51.2B
2000s 10 years · $24.1B
1990s 10 years · $5.6B
1980s 9 years · $1.1B
1970s 9 years · $311.5M
1960s 5 years · $221.6M
1950s 9 years · $329.5M
1940s 8 years · $428.3M
1930s 1 year · $185.1M
FAQ

Animation Box Office 1989: 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 11 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing animation movie in 1989?

The Little Mermaid (1989) leads with $211.3M worldwide, $111.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) at $10.4M and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989) at $1.4M.

How much did animation movies released in 1989 earn?

11 animation films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $226.7M in all, or $20.6M per film on average. 1988 releases took $530.1M.

How many animation movies released in 1989 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by The Little Mermaid (1989) with $211.3M.

How much of the 1989 Animation box office came from the US and Canada?

$116M of the $226.7M total, or 51%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 11 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1989 animation 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 1989. 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 1989 animation 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.