#1 of 5 #1 drama movie of August 1980
1980 · Action, Drama
$19M worldwide · 51% of the chart's total
$19M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · August 1980
Drama Box Office, August 1980: Top-Grossing Releases
The Octagon (1980) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in August 1980, with $19M worldwide, ahead of The Hunter (1980) at $16.3M and Why Would I Lie? (1980) at $1.2M. 5 drama films released in August 1980 report a worldwide gross, $37.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 56% on July 1980, whose releases took $83.9M. By language, English leads with $21M across 4 drama releases.
- August 1980 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $37.2M
- The Octagon (1980), the #1
- $19M
- vs July 1980
- −56%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of August 1980?
The Octagon (1980) leads with $19M, 51% of the total. The top 5 together took $37.2M, 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 Drama Release of August 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 August 1980.
- 1 Aug 15, 1980 US and Canada: $19M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19M
- 2 Aug 1, 1980 US and Canada: $16.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.3M
- 3 Aug 10, 1980 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
- 4 Aug 15, 1980 US and Canada: $804.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $804.7K
- 5 Aug 20, 1980 US and Canada: $6.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.5K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in August 1980?
Of the top 5, The Octagon (1980) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Scum (1980) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $37.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Octagon (1980) $19M $19M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Hunter (1980) $16.3M $16.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Why Would I Lie? (1980) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980) $804.7K $804.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Scum (1980) $6.5K $6.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of August 1980 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 33 (Aug 10–16) took $21M, led by The Octagon (1980). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 27–Aug 2 The Hunter (1980) $16.3M The Hunter (1980)
- Week 32 Wk 32 Aug 3–9 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 10–16 The Octagon (1980) $21M The Octagon (1980)
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 17–23 Scum (1980) $6.5K Scum (1980)
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 24–30 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 31–Sep 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does August 1980 Compare With August in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, August 1979 earned the most: $180.7M from 7 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979). August 1980 took $37.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1971 4 films | 4 | $17.1K | – | Beware of a Holy Whore (1971) $9.4K |
| August 1972 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| August 1973 3 films | 3 | $115.2M | – | American Graffiti (1973) $115M |
| August 1974 2 films · −63% | 2 | $43M | −63% | The Longest Yard (1974) $43M |
| August 1975 1 film · −100% | 1 | $2.2K | −100% | The Old Gun (1975) $2.2K |
| August 1976 2 films · +363765% | 2 | $8.1M | +363765% | The Shootist (1976) $8.1M |
| August 1977 2 films · −100% | 2 | $3.3K | −100% | That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) $3.1K |
| August 1978 2 films · +315713% | 2 | $10.4M | +315713% | Interiors (1978) $10.4M |
| August 1979 7 films · +1631% | 7 | $180.7M | +1631% | Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M |
| August 1980 5 films · −79% | 5 | $37.2M | −79% | The Octagon (1980) $19M |
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 August 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in August 1980?
The Octagon (1980) leads with $19M worldwide, $19M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Hunter (1980) at $16.3M and Why Would I Lie? (1980) at $1.2M.
How much did drama movies released in August 1980 earn?
5 drama films released in August 1980 report a worldwide gross, $37.2M in all, or $7.4M per film on average. July 1980 releases took $83.9M.
How many drama movies released in August 1980 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Octagon (1980), earned $19M.
How is the August 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 August 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 August 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.