#1 of 5 #1 comedy movie of May 1986
1986 · Sci-Fi, Comedy
$40.7M worldwide · 62% of the chart's total
$40.7M US & Canada · 100% $542 elsewhere · <1%
Comedy box office · May 1986
Comedy Box Office, May 1986: Top-Grossing Releases
Short Circuit (1986) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in May 1986, with $40.7M worldwide, ahead of Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) at $18M and No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) at $4.7M. 5 comedy films released in May 1986 report a worldwide gross, $65.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 7% on April 1986, whose releases took $69.9M. By language, English leads with $24.6M across 3 comedy releases.
- May 1986 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $65.3M
- Short Circuit (1986), the #1
- $40.7M
- vs April 1986
- −7%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of May 1986?
Short Circuit (1986) leads with $40.7M, 62% of the total. The top 5 together took $65.3M, 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
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Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Comedy Release of May 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 May 1986.
- 1 May 9, 1986 US and Canada: $40.7M Rest of the world: $542 Worldwide: $40.7M
- 2 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)May 2, 1986 US and Canada: $18M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18M
May 2, 1986 · English · Drama, Comedy, Fantasy $18M worldwide - 3 May 2, 1986 US and Canada: $4.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.7M
- 4 May 30, 1986 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M
- 5 May 16, 1986 US and Canada: $4.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1986?
Of the top 5, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Short Circuit (1986) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $65.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Short Circuit (1986) $40.7M $40.7M US & Canada · 100% $542 elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) $18M $18M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) $4.7M $4.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Jake Speed (1986) $1.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Coming Up Roses (1986) $4.3K $4.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of May 1986 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 4–10) took $40.7M, led by Short Circuit (1986). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 27–May 3 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) $22.7M Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 4–10 Short Circuit (1986) $40.7M Short Circuit (1986)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 11–17 Coming Up Roses (1986) $4.3K Coming Up Roses (1986)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 18–24 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 25–31 Jake Speed (1986) $1.9M Jake Speed (1986)
Earlier years
How Does May 1986 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1985 earned the most: $134.4M from 10 films, led by Fletch (1985). May 1986 took $65.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1977 4 films | 4 | $127.6M | – | Smokey and the Bandit (1977) $126.8M |
| May 1978 2 films · −65% | 2 | $44.9M | −65% | The End (1978) $44.9M |
| May 1979 4 films · −51% | 4 | $22M | −51% | La Cage aux Folles (1979) $20.4M |
| May 1980 5 films · +6% | 5 | $23.3M | +6% | The Nude Bomb (1980) $14.7M |
| May 1981 4 films · +250% | 4 | $81.7M | +250% | The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M |
| May 1982 4 films · −73% | 4 | $22.3M | −73% | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M |
| May 1983 2 films · +16% | 2 | $25.9M | +16% | Still Smokin (1983) $15.5M |
| May 1984 7 films · +208% | 7 | $79.8M | +208% | Breakin' (1984) $38.7M |
| May 1985 10 films · +68% | 10 | $134.4M | +68% | Fletch (1985) $59.6M |
| May 1986 5 films · −51% | 5 | $65.3M | −51% | Short Circuit (1986) $40.7M |
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1986, Month by Month
The months of 1986 with their totals: June leads with $365.3M, led by Legal Eagles (1986).
- January $86.4M #1 Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
- February $126.7M #1 Pretty in Pink (1986)
- March $153.4M #1 The Money Pit (1986)
- April $69.9M #1 A Room with a View (1986)
- May $65.3M #1 Short Circuit (1986)
- June $365.3M #1 Legal Eagles (1986)
- July $151.9M #1 About Last Night... (1986)
- August $92.8M #1 Howard the Duck (1986)
- September $329.9M #1 Crocodile Dundee (1986)
- October $128.2M #1 Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
- November $218M #1 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
- December $216.6M #1 The Golden Child (1986)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office May 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing comedy movie in May 1986?
Short Circuit (1986) leads with $40.7M worldwide, $40.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) at $18M and No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) at $4.7M.
How much did comedy movies released in May 1986 earn?
5 comedy films released in May 1986 report a worldwide gross, $65.3M in all, or $13.1M per film on average. April 1986 releases took $69.9M.
How many comedy movies released in May 1986 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Short Circuit (1986), earned $40.7M.
How is the May 1986 comedy 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 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 May 1986 comedy 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.