#1 of 14 #1 drama movie of May 1987
1987 · Drama, War
$5.3M worldwide · 25% of the chart's total
$5.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · May 1987
Drama Box Office, May 1987: Top-Grossing Releases
Gardens of Stone (1987) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in May 1987, with $5.3M worldwide, ahead of River's Edge (1987) at $4.6M and American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) at $4M. 14 drama films released in May 1987 report a worldwide gross, $20.9M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 39% on April 1987, whose releases took $34.4M. By language, English leads with $19.6M across 9 drama releases.
- May 1987 releases with a gross
- 14
- combined worldwide
- $20.9M
- Gardens of Stone (1987), the #1
- $5.3M
- vs April 1987
- −39%
#1 of 14 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of May 1987?
Gardens of Stone (1987) leads with $5.3M, 25% of the total. The top 5 together took $17M, 81% of what all 14 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 1987, 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 1987.
- 1 May 5, 1987 US and Canada: $5.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.3M
- 2 May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M
- 3 May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4M
- 4 May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: $18.2K Worldwide: $1.7M
- 5 May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M
- 6
May 14, 1987 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 7
May 19, 1987 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1M - 8
May 7, 1987 US and Canada: $949.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $949.5K - 9
May 29, 1987 US and Canada: $350.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $350.5K - 10
May 13, 1987 US and Canada: $183.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $183.7K - 11
May 18, 1987 US and Canada: $138.6K Rest of the world: $43 Worldwide: $138.7K - 12
May 17, 1987 US and Canada: $61.8K Rest of the world: $23.2K Worldwide: $85K - 13
May 14, 1987 US and Canada: $68.8K Rest of the world: $923 Worldwide: $69.7K - 14
May 8, 1987 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $938
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1987?
Of the top 10, Gardens of Stone (1987) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Prick Up Your Ears (1987) made 1% of its gross abroad. Across all 14 films, $20.9M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Gardens of Stone (1987) $5.3M $5.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 River's Edge (1987) $4.6M $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) $4M $4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Prick Up Your Ears (1987) $1.7M $1.7M US & Canada · 99% $18.2K elsewhere · 1%
- 5 I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) $1.4M $1.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Good Wife (1987) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Aria (1987) $1M $1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 A Man in Love (1987) $949.5K $949.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Summer Heat (1987) $350.5K $350.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Good Morning, Babylon (1987) $183.7K $183.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1987 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 14 films reached $100M. 14 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $20.9M total.
100%
- $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- Under $10M 14 films, 100% of the list $20.9M · 100% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1987 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 3–9) took $12.5M, led by Gardens of Stone (1987). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) $5.4M American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 Gardens of Stone (1987) $12.5M Gardens of Stone (1987)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 The Good Wife (1987) $1.4M The Good Wife (1987)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 Aria (1987) $1.3M Aria (1987)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 Summer Heat (1987) $350.5K Summer Heat (1987)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1987 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1986 earned the most: $387.3M from 5 films, led by Top Gun (1986). May 1987 took $20.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1978 8 films | 8 | $76M | – | 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 |
| May 1986 5 films · +946% | 5 | $387.3M | +946% | Top Gun (1986) $357.3M |
| May 1987 14 films · −95% | 14 | $20.9M | −95% | Gardens of Stone (1987) $5.3M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in May 1987?
English-language drama films took $19.6M across 9 films, 94% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($1M) and Italian-language drama films ($322.4K).
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1987, Month by Month
The months of 1987 with their totals: September leads with $374.9M, led by Fatal Attraction (1987).
- January $28.6M #1 Crimes of the Heart (1987)
- February $92M #1 Black Widow (1987)
- March $31.4M #1 Tin Men (1987)
- April $34.4M #1 Project X (1987)
- May $20.9M #1 Gardens of Stone (1987)
- June $148M #1 The Untouchables (1987)
- July $57.9M #1 La Bamba (1987)
- August $320.7M #1 Dirty Dancing (1987)
- September $374.9M #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- October $80.6M #1 Baby Boom (1987)
- November $259.5M #1 3 Men and a Baby (1987)
- December $262M #1 Moonstruck (1987)
FAQ
Drama Box Office May 1987: 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 14 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in May 1987?
Gardens of Stone (1987) leads with $5.3M worldwide, $5.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come River's Edge (1987) at $4.6M and American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) at $4M.
How much did drama movies released in May 1987 earn?
14 drama films released in May 1987 report a worldwide gross, $20.9M in all, or $1.5M per film on average. April 1987 releases took $34.4M.
How many drama movies released in May 1987 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Gardens of Stone (1987), earned $5.3M.
How is the May 1987 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 1987. 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 1987 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.