#1 of 17 #1 drama movie of May 1988
1988 · Action, Adventure
$57.3M worldwide · 72% of the chart's total
$57.3M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · May 1988
Drama Box Office, May 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
Willow (1988) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in May 1988, with $57.3M worldwide, ahead of Shakedown (1988) at $10.1M and Wings of Desire (1988) at $3.5M. 17 drama films released in May 1988 report a worldwide gross, $80.1M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 35% on April 1988, whose releases took $123.7M. By language, English leads with $72.9M across 10 drama releases.
- May 1988 releases with a gross
- 17
- combined worldwide
- $80.1M
- Willow (1988), the #1
- $57.3M
- vs April 1988
- −35%
#1 of 17 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of May 1988?
Willow (1988) leads with $57.3M, 72% of the total. The top 5 together took $75.3M, 94% of what all 17 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 1988, 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 1988.
- 1 May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $57.3M Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $57.3M
- 2 May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $10.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.1M
- 3 May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $184.6K Worldwide: $3.5M
- 4 May 15, 1988 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.3M
- 5 May 1, 1988 US and Canada: $2.1M Rest of the world: $712 Worldwide: $2.1M
- 6
May 14, 1988 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M - 7
May 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M - 8
May 15, 1988 US and Canada: $429K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $429K - 9
May 11, 1988 US and Canada: $422.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $422.7K - 10
May 14, 1988 US and Canada: $346.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $346.7K - 11
May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $251.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $251.8K - 12
May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $229.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $229.6K - 13
May 17, 1988 US and Canada: $191.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $191.1K - 14
May 18, 1988 US and Canada: $189K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $189K - 15
May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $82.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $82.6K - 16
May 21, 1988 US and Canada: $6.7K Rest of the world: $1.6K Worldwide: $8.3K - 17
May 12, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $557
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1988?
Of the top 10, Shakedown (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Wings of Desire (1988) made 5% of its gross abroad. Across all 17 films, $79.9M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Willow (1988) $57.3M $57.3M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Shakedown (1988) $10.1M $10.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Wings of Desire (1988) $3.5M $3.3M US & Canada · 95% $184.6K elsewhere · 5%
- 4 A World Apart (1988) $2.3M $2.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Salaam Bombay! (1988) $2.1M $2.1M US & Canada · 100% $712 elsewhere · <1%
- 6 A Handful of Dust (1988) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Music Teacher (1988) $1.1M $1.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Track 29 (1988) $429K $429K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Tiger Warsaw (1988) $422.7K $422.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 The Yen Family (1988) $346.7K $346.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1988 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 17 films reached $100M. 15 films, 88% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $80.1M total.
84% 16%
- $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 2 films, 12% of the list $67.3M · 84% of the gross
- Under $10M 15 films, 88% of the list $12.7M · 16% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 15–21) took $60.8M, led by Willow (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 1–7 Shakedown (1988) $17M Shakedown (1988)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 8–14 A Handful of Dust (1988) $2.3M A Handful of Dust (1988)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 15–21 Willow (1988) $60.8M Willow (1988)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 22–28 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 29–Jun 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1988 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 1988 took $80.1M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1979 6 films | 6 | $3.5M | – | 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 |
| May 1988 17 films · +283% | 17 | $80.1M | +283% | Willow (1988) $57.3M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in May 1988?
English-language drama films took $72.9M across 10 films, 91% of the total, ahead of German-language drama films ($3.5M) and Hindi-language drama films ($2.1M).
May 1988 Drama Box Office by Language
-
English $72.9M10 films · #1 Willow (1988) -
German $3.5M1 film · #1 Wings of Desire (1988) -
Hindi $2.1M1 film · #1 Salaam Bombay! (1988) -
French $1.1M1 film · #1 The Music Teacher (1988) -
Japanese $346.7K1 film · #1 The Yen Family (1988) -
Hungarian $82.6K1 film · #1 Hanussen (1988) -
Polish $5571 film · #1 On the Silver Globe (1988)
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: December leads with $590.8M, led by Rain Man (1988).
- January $141.6M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- February $116M #1 Shoot to Kill (1988)
- March $113.6M #1 Biloxi Blues (1988)
- April $123.7M #1 Colors (1988)
- May $80.1M #1 Willow (1988)
- June $466.9M #1 Coming to America (1988)
- July $14.3M #1 A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988)
- August $87.6M #1 Betrayed (1988)
- September $116.6M #1 Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- October $97.6M #1 The Accused (1988)
- November $185M #1 The Land Before Time (1988)
- December $590.8M #1 Rain Man (1988)
FAQ
Drama Box Office May 1988: 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 17 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in May 1988?
Willow (1988) leads with $57.3M worldwide, $57.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Shakedown (1988) at $10.1M and Wings of Desire (1988) at $3.5M.
How much did drama movies released in May 1988 earn?
17 drama films released in May 1988 report a worldwide gross, $80.1M in all, or $4.7M per film on average. April 1988 releases took $123.7M.
How many drama movies released in May 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Willow (1988), earned $57.3M.
How is the May 1988 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 1988. 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 1988 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.