#1 of 5 #1 crime movie of May 1986
1986 · Action, Thriller
$49M worldwide · 75% of the chart's total
$49M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
Crime box office · May 1986
Crime Box Office, May 1986: Top-Grossing Releases
Cobra (1986) is the highest-grossing crime movie released in May 1986, with $49M worldwide, ahead of Blue City (1986) at $6.9M and No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) at $4.7M. 5 crime films released in May 1986 report a worldwide gross, $65M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 133% on April 1986, whose releases took $27.9M. By language, English leads with $15.9M across 4 crime releases.
- May 1986 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $65M
- Cobra (1986), the #1
- $49M
- vs April 1986
- +133%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Crime Hits of May 1986?
Cobra (1986) leads with $49M, 75% of the total. The top 5 together took $65M, 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 Crime 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 23, 1986 US and Canada: $49M Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $49M
- 2 May 2, 1986 US and Canada: $6.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.9M
- 3 May 2, 1986 US and Canada: $4.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.7M
- 4 May 9, 1986 US and Canada: $2.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.4M
- 5 May 30, 1986 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1986?
Of the top 5, Blue City (1986) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Cobra (1986) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $65M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Cobra (1986) $49M $49M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Blue City (1986) $6.9M $6.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) $4.7M $4.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Dangerously Close (1986) $2.4M $2.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Jake Speed (1986) $1.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of May 1986 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 18–24) took $49M, led by Cobra (1986). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 27–May 3 Blue City (1986) $11.6M Blue City (1986)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 4–10 Dangerously Close (1986) $2.4M Dangerously Close (1986)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 11–17 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 18–24 Cobra (1986) $49M Cobra (1986)
- 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: $80M from 2 films, led by Fletch (1985). May 1986 took $65M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1977 1 film | 1 | $1.1K | – | Desperate Living (1977) $1.1K |
| May 1978 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1980 1 film | 1 | $14.7M | – | The Nude Bomb (1980) $14.7M |
| May 1981 1 film · +19% | 1 | $17.4M | +19% | Outland (1981) $17.4M |
| May 1982 4 films · +54% | 4 | $26.8M | +54% | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M |
| May 1983 3 films · +81% | 3 | $48.5M | +81% | Blue Thunder (1983) $42.3M |
| May 1984 1 film · −100% | 1 | $5.7K | −100% | The Element of Crime (1984) $5.7K |
| May 1985 2 films · +1391446% | 2 | $80M | +1391446% | Fletch (1985) $59.6M |
| May 1986 5 films · −19% | 5 | $65M | −19% | Cobra (1986) $49M |
Archive
Crime Box Office in 1986, Month by Month
The months of 1986 with their totals: June leads with $225.3M, led by Legal Eagles (1986).
- January $6.6M #1 Black Moon Rising (1986)
- February $28.7M #1 F/X (1986)
- March $22.3K #1 Trouble in Mind (1986)
- April $27.9M #1 Murphy’s Law (1986)
- May $65M #1 Cobra (1986)
- June $225.3M #1 Legal Eagles (1986)
- July $5.1M #1 Out of Bounds (1986)
- August $40.4M #1 Armed and Dangerous (1986)
- September $9.3M #1 The Name of the Rose (1986)
- October $21.5M #1 Tough Guys (1986)
- November $13.6M #1 Something Wild (1986)
- December $37.5M #1 The Morning After (1986)
FAQ
Crime 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 crime movie in May 1986?
Cobra (1986) leads with $49M worldwide, $49M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Blue City (1986) at $6.9M and No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) at $4.7M.
How much did crime movies released in May 1986 earn?
5 crime films released in May 1986 report a worldwide gross, $65M in all, or $13M per film on average. April 1986 releases took $27.9M.
How many crime movies released in May 1986 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Cobra (1986), earned $49M.
How is the May 1986 crime 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 crime 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.