#1 of 3 #1 drama movie of Week 51, 1981
1981 · Drama, Thriller
$40.7M worldwide · 41% of the chart's total
$40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · Week 51 · Dec 13–19, 1981
Drama Box Office, Week 51 of 1981: Drama Releases of Dec 13–19
Absence of Malice (1981) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19), with $40.7M worldwide, ahead of Sharky's Machine (1981) at $35.6M and Ghost Story (1981) at $23.4M. 3 drama films released that week report a worldwide gross, $99.7M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- week 51 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $99.7M
- Absence of Malice (1981), the #1
- $40.7M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of Week 51 of 1981?
Absence of Malice (1981) leads with $40.7M, 41% of the total. The top 3 together took $99.7M, almost all of what the 3 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Drama Release of Week 51 of 1981, 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 week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19).
- 1 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $40.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $40.7M
- 2 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.6M
- 3 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $23.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.4M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in Week 51 of 1981?
Of the top 3, Absence of Malice (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Ghost Story (1981) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $99.7M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Absence of Malice (1981) $40.7M $40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Sharky's Machine (1981) $35.6M $35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Ghost Story (1981) $23.4M $23.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Weeks around it
How Does Week 51 Compare With the Weeks Around It?
Week 51 releases took $99.7M. The biggest of these 9 weeks is week 49 (Nov 29–Dec 5) with $127.5M, led by On Golden Pond (1981).
- Week 45 Wk 45 Nov 1–7 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 46 Wk 46 Nov 8–14 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 47 Wk 47 Nov 15–21 Ragtime (1981) $14.9M Ragtime (1981)
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 22–28 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 On Golden Pond (1981) $127.5M On Golden Pond (1981)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Rollover (1981) $11.1M Rollover (1981)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Absence of Malice (1981) $99.7M Absence of Malice (1981)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 Reds (1981) $76.2M Reds (1981)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does Week 51 of 1981 Compare With Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, Week 51, 1979 earned the most: $249.7M from 6 films, led by Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Week 51, 1981 took $99.7M.
| Week | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 51, 1972 Dec 10–16 1 film | 1 | $84.6M | – | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
| Week 51, 1973 Dec 16–22 2 films · −37% | 2 | $53.5M | −37% | Papillon (1973) $53.3M |
| Week 51, 1974 Dec 15–21 3 films · +117% | 3 | $116.2M | +117% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| Week 51, 1975 Dec 14–20 1 film · −100% | 1 | $283.9K | −100% | Barry Lyndon (1975) $283.9K |
| Week 51, 1976 Dec 12–18 1 film · +28077% | 1 | $80M | +28077% | A Star Is Born (1976) $80M |
| Week 51, 1977 Dec 11–17 2 films · +197% | 2 | $237.3M | +197% | Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M |
| Week 51, 1978 Dec 17–23 2 films · −92% | 2 | $18.3M | −92% | Moment by Moment (1978) $11M |
| Week 51, 1979 Dec 16–22 6 films · +1265% | 6 | $249.7M | +1265% | Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $106.3M |
| Week 51, 1980 Dec 14–20 1 film · −89% | 1 | $27.1M | −89% | The Jazz Singer (1980) $27.1M |
| Week 51, 1981 Dec 13–19 3 films · +268% | 3 | $99.7M | +268% | Absence of Malice (1981) $40.7M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1981, Week by Week
36 weeks of 1981 with reported grosses; the biggest is week 49 (Nov 29–Dec 5) with $127.5M, led by On Golden Pond (1981).
- Week 1 No grosses
- Week 2 No grosses
- Week 3 $10.1K
- Week 4 No grosses
- Week 5 $11.2K
- Week 6 $29.2M
- Week 7 $11.9M
- Week 8 No grosses
- Week 9 No grosses
- Week 10 $6.4M
- Week 11 $3M
- Week 12 $14.6M
- Week 13 $11.5M
- Week 14 $13.3M
- Week 15 $35M
- Week 16 No grosses
- Week 17 $2.4M
- Week 18 $1.8M
- Week 19 $5.2M
- Week 20 $3.1M
- Week 21 $81.7M
- Week 22 No grosses
- Week 23 $14.9M
- Week 24 No grosses
- Week 25 No grosses
- Week 26 No grosses
- Week 27 $14.9M
- Week 28 $63.5M
- Week 29 $32.5M
- Week 30 $37.1M
- Week 31 $10.9M
- Week 32 $9.6M
- Week 33 No grosses
- Week 34 $20.6M
- Week 35 $30.7M
- Week 36 No grosses
- Week 37 No grosses
- Week 38 $2M
- Week 39 $57.4M
- Week 40 $3.3M
- Week 41 $15.3M
- Week 42 $26.9M
- Week 43 $1.6M
- Week 44 $12K
- Week 45 No grosses
- Week 46 No grosses
- Week 47 $14.9M
- Week 48 No grosses
- Week 49 $127.5M
- Week 50 $11.1M
- Week 51 $99.7M
- Week 52 $76.2M
- Week 53 No grosses
FAQ
Drama Box Office Week 51 of 1981: 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19)?
Absence of Malice (1981) leads with $40.7M worldwide, $40.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Sharky's Machine (1981) at $35.6M and Ghost Story (1981) at $23.4M.
How much did drama movies released in week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19) earn?
3 drama films released in week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19) report a worldwide gross, $99.7M in all, or $33.2M per film on average.
How many drama movies released in week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19) made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Absence of Malice (1981), earned $40.7M.
How is the week 51, 1981 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 week 51 of 1981 (Dec 13–19). 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 week 51, 1981 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.