#1 of 11 #1 drama movie of October 1980
1980 · Biography, Drama
$26M worldwide · 52% of the chart's total
$26M US & Canada · 100% $23.5K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · October 1980
Drama Box Office, October 1980: Top-Grossing Releases
The Elephant Man (1980) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in October 1980, with $26M worldwide, ahead of Somewhere in Time (1980) at $9.7M and Coast to Coast (1980) at $4.5M. 11 drama films released in October 1980 report a worldwide gross, $49.9M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 49% on September 1980, whose releases took $97.3M. By language, English leads with $41.1M across 6 drama releases.
- October 1980 releases with a gross
- 11
- combined worldwide
- $49.9M
- The Elephant Man (1980), the #1
- $26M
- vs September 1980
- −49%
#1 of 11 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of October 1980?
The Elephant Man (1980) leads with $26M, 52% of the total. The top 5 together took $48.3M, 97% of what all 11 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 Drama Release of October 1980, 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 October 1980.
- 1 Oct 10, 1980 US and Canada: $26M Rest of the world: $23.5K Worldwide: $26M
- 2 Oct 3, 1980 US and Canada: $9.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.7M
- 3 Oct 3, 1980 US and Canada: $4.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.5M
- 4 Oct 1, 1980 US and Canada: $4.1M Rest of the world: $2.5K Worldwide: $4.1M
- 5 Oct 10, 1980 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: $18.5K Worldwide: $4M
- 6
Oct 3, 1980 US and Canada: $843.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $843.2K - 7
Oct 31, 1980 US and Canada: $621.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $621.9K - 8
Oct 2, 1980 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $92.5K - 9
Oct 1, 1980 US and Canada: $2.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.5K - 10
Oct 15, 1980 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $948 - 11
Oct 14, 1980 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $351
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1980?
Of the top 10, Somewhere in Time (1980) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Kagemusha (1980) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $49.7M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Elephant Man (1980) $26M $26M US & Canada · 100% $23.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Somewhere in Time (1980) $9.7M $9.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Coast to Coast (1980) $4.5M $4.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Gloria (1980) $4.1M $4.1M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 5 Kagemusha (1980) $4M $4M US & Canada · 100% $18.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 One Trick Pony (1980) $843.2K $843.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Sunday Lovers (1980) $621.9K $621.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Encore (1980) $92.5K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Breaking Glass (1980) $2.5K $2.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Breaker Morant (1980) $948 No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many October 1980 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 11 films reached $100M. 10 films, 91% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $49.9M total.
52% 48%
- $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 1 film, 9% of the list $26M · 52% of the gross
- Under $10M 10 films, 91% of the list $23.8M · 48% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of October 1980 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 41 (Oct 5–11) took $30.1M, led by The Elephant Man (1980). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 28–Oct 4 Somewhere in Time (1980) $19.2M Somewhere in Time (1980)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 5–11 The Elephant Man (1980) $30.1M The Elephant Man (1980)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 12–18 Breaker Morant (1980) $1.3K Breaker Morant (1980)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 19–25 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 26–Nov 1 Sunday Lovers (1980) $621.9K Sunday Lovers (1980)
Earlier years
How Does October 1980 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1971 earned the most: $80.9M from 3 films, led by The French Connection (1971). October 1980 took $49.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1971 3 films | 3 | $80.9M | – | The French Connection (1971) $51.7M |
| October 1972 2 films · −100% | 2 | $20.6K | −100% | Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K |
| October 1973 5 films · +219084% | 5 | $45.2M | +219084% | The Way We Were (1973) $45M |
| October 1974 3 films · −100% | 3 | $195.2K | −100% | A Bigger Splash (1974) $130.3K |
| October 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1976 1 film | 1 | $7.2K | – | The Marquise of O (1976) $7.2K |
| October 1977 6 films · +602885% | 6 | $43.3M | +602885% | Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) $22.5M |
| October 1978 4 films · +3% | 4 | $44.6M | +3% | Midnight Express (1978) $35M |
| October 1979 8 films · +68% | 8 | $75.1M | +68% | ...and justice for all. (1979) $33.3M |
| October 1980 11 films · −34% | 11 | $49.9M | −34% | The Elephant Man (1980) $26M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in October 1980?
English-language drama films took $41.1M across 6 films, 82% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language drama films ($4M) and French-language drama films ($622.3K).
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1980, Month by Month
The months of 1980 with their totals: June leads with $115.4M, led by Urban Cowboy (1980).
- January $2.1M #1 Windows (1980)
- February $73.6M #1 American Gigolo (1980)
- March $110.9M #1 Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
- April $4.2M #1 Lost and Found (1980)
- May $23.1M #1 Fame (1980)
- June $115.4M #1 Urban Cowboy (1980)
- July $83.9M #1 The Blue Lagoon (1980)
- August $37.2M #1 The Octagon (1980)
- September $97.3M #1 Ordinary People (1980)
- October $49.9M #1 The Elephant Man (1980)
- November $29.6M #1 Raging Bull (1980)
- December $47.2M #1 The Jazz Singer (1980)
FAQ
Drama Box Office October 1980: 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 drama movie in October 1980?
The Elephant Man (1980) leads with $26M worldwide, $26M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Somewhere in Time (1980) at $9.7M and Coast to Coast (1980) at $4.5M.
How much did drama movies released in October 1980 earn?
11 drama films released in October 1980 report a worldwide gross, $49.9M in all, or $4.5M per film on average. September 1980 releases took $97.3M.
How many drama movies released in October 1980 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Elephant Man (1980), earned $26M.
How is the October 1980 drama 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 October 1980. 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 October 1980 drama 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.