#1 of 5 #1 drama movie of May 1985
1985 · Action, Drama
$20.3M worldwide · 55% of the chart's total
$20.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · May 1985
Drama Box Office, May 1985: Top-Grossing Releases
Code of Silence (1985) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in May 1985, with $20.3M worldwide, ahead of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) at $10.6M and Rappin’ (1985) at $2.9M. 5 drama films released in May 1985 report a worldwide gross, $37M in all, 97% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 37% on April 1985, whose releases took $58.8M. By language, English leads with $36M across 4 drama releases.
- May 1985 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $37M
- Code of Silence (1985), the #1
- $20.3M
- vs April 1985
- −37%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of May 1985?
Code of Silence (1985) leads with $20.3M, 55% of the total. The top 5 together took $37M, 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 May 1985, 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 1985.
- 1 May 3, 1985 US and Canada: $20.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.3M
- 2 May 2, 1985 US and Canada: $10.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.6M
- 3 May 10, 1985 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.9M
- 4 May 11, 1985 US and Canada: $2.1M Rest of the world: $427 Worldwide: $2.1M
- 5 May 15, 1985 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1985?
Of the top 5, Code of Silence (1985) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Quiet Earth (1985) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $36M (97%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Code of Silence (1985) $20.3M $20.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) $10.6M $10.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Rappin’ (1985) $2.9M $2.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Quiet Earth (1985) $2.1M $2.1M US & Canada · 100% $427 elsewhere · <1%
- 5 Rendez-vous (1985) $1.1M No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1985 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 28–May 4) took $31M, led by Code of Silence (1985). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 28–May 4 Code of Silence (1985) $31M Code of Silence (1985)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 5–11 Rappin’ (1985) $5M Rappin’ (1985)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 12–18 Rendez-vous (1985) $1.1M Rendez-vous (1985)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 19–25 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 26–Jun 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1985 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1982 earned the most: $135.9M from 7 films, led by Rocky III (1982). May 1985 took $37M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1976 4 films | 4 | $405.2K | – | Mr. Klein (1976) $219.1K |
| May 1977 4 films · +102% | 4 | $819.4K | +102% | Citizens Band (1977) $815.5K |
| May 1978 8 films · +9178% | 8 | $76M | +9178% | The End (1978) $44.9M |
| May 1979 6 films · −95% | 6 | $3.5M | −95% | Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M |
| May 1980 4 films · +561% | 4 | $23.1M | +561% | Fame (1980) $21.2M |
| May 1981 5 films · +297% | 5 | $91.8M | +297% | The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M |
| May 1982 7 films · +48% | 7 | $135.9M | +48% | Rocky III (1982) $125.1M |
| May 1983 5 films · −49% | 5 | $68.7M | −49% | Blue Thunder (1983) $42.3M |
| May 1984 9 films · +45% | 9 | $99.6M | +45% | The Natural (1984) $48M |
| May 1985 5 films · −63% | 5 | $37M | −63% | Code of Silence (1985) $20.3M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1985, Month by Month
The months of 1985 with their totals: November leads with $403.5M, led by Rocky IV (1985).
- January $14M #1 Tuff Turf (1985)
- February $231.8M #1 Witness (1985)
- March $111.9M #1 Mask (1985)
- April $58.8M #1 Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
- May $37M #1 Code of Silence (1985)
- June $101.9M #1 St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
- July $20.1M #1 Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
- August $34.6M #1 Year of the Dragon (1985)
- September $36.5M #1 Agnes of God (1985)
- October $61.9M #1 Jagged Edge (1985)
- November $403.5M #1 Rocky IV (1985)
- December $398.8M #1 Out of Africa (1985)
FAQ
Drama Box Office May 1985: 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 May 1985?
Code of Silence (1985) leads with $20.3M worldwide, $20.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) at $10.6M and Rappin’ (1985) at $2.9M.
How much did drama movies released in May 1985 earn?
5 drama films released in May 1985 report a worldwide gross, $37M in all, or $7.4M per film on average. April 1985 releases took $58.8M.
How many drama movies released in May 1985 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Code of Silence (1985), earned $20.3M.
How is the May 1985 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 May 1985. 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 1985 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.