#1 of 124 #1 drama movie of 1990
1990 · Drama, Mystery
$505.7M worldwide · 19% of the chart's total
$217.6M US & Canada · 43% $288.1M elsewhere · 57%
Drama box office · 1990
Drama Box Office 1990: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies
Ghost (1990) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1990, with $505.7M worldwide, ahead of Dances with Wolves (1990) at $424.2M and Days of Thunder (1990) at $157.9M. 124 drama films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $2.7B in all, 67% of it from the US & Canada. 6 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 33% on 1989, whose releases took $2B. By language, English leads with $2.6B across 97 drama releases.
- 1990 releases with a gross
- 124
- combined worldwide
- $2.7B
- films crossed $100M
- 6
- vs 1989
- +33%
#1 of 124 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1990?
Ghost (1990) leads with $505.7M, 19% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.4B, 51% of what all 124 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 1990, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 1 to 50 of 124. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1990.
- 1 Jul 13, 1990 US and Canada: $217.6M Rest of the world: $288.1M Worldwide: $505.7M
- 2 Nov 9, 1990 US and Canada: $184.2M Rest of the world: $240M Worldwide: $424.2M
- 3 Jun 27, 1990 US and Canada: $82.7M Rest of the world: $75.3M Worldwide: $157.9M
- 4 Jun 8, 1990 US and Canada: $80.8M Rest of the world: $72.7M Worldwide: $153.5M
- 5 Dec 25, 1990 US and Canada: $66.8M Rest of the world: $70.1M Worldwide: $136.9M
- 6
Nov 16, 1990 US and Canada: $40.9M Rest of the world: $79M Worldwide: $119.9M - 7
Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $56.4M Rest of the world: $29.7M Worldwide: $86M - 8
Nov 21, 1990 US and Canada: $71.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $71.6M - 9
Aug 10, 1990 US and Canada: $61.5M Rest of the world: $373 Worldwide: $61.5M - 10
Nov 30, 1990 US and Canada: $61.3M Rest of the world: $725 Worldwide: $61.3M - 11
Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $46M Rest of the world: $11.9M Worldwide: $58M - 12
Dec 20, 1990 US and Canada: $52.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $52.1M - 13
Feb 9, 1990 US and Canada: $47.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $47.4M - 14
Sep 1, 1990 US and Canada: $46.9M Rest of the world: $158.3K Worldwide: $47.1M - 15
Sep 12, 1990 US and Canada: $39.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $39.1M - 16
Aug 17, 1990 US and Canada: $26.1M Rest of the world: $12.9M Worldwide: $39M - 17
Dec 14, 1990 US and Canada: $35.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.4M - 18
Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: $27.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27.7M - 19
Oct 12, 1990 US and Canada: $27.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27.4M - 20
Feb 16, 1990 US and Canada: $27M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27M - 21
Nov 2, 1990 US and Canada: $26.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.1M - 22
Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $11.6M Rest of the world: $11.9M Worldwide: $23.5M - 23
Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $23M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23M - 24
Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $21.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.6M - 25
Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $21.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.4M - 26
Feb 2, 1990 US and Canada: $20.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.2M - 27
Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $17.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.5M - 28
Apr 27, 1990 US and Canada: $17M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17M - 29
Aug 3, 1990 US and Canada: $16.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.2M - 30
Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $15.7M Rest of the world: $38.8K Worldwide: $15.8M - 31
Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $15.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.7M - 32
Feb 16, 1990 US and Canada: $15.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.6M - 33
Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $15.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.4M - 34
Aug 12, 1990 US and Canada: $14.6M Rest of the world: $25.4K Worldwide: $14.6M - 35
Mar 16, 1990 US and Canada: $14M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14M - 36
Dec 5, 1990 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M - 37
Apr 13, 1990 US and Canada: $13.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.2M - 38
Mar 9, 1990 US and Canada: $12.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.6M - 39
Aug 22, 1990 US and Canada: $11.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.5M - 40
Apr 27, 1990 US and Canada: $11.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.1M - 41
Aug 10, 1990 US and Canada: $10M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10M - 42
Apr 20, 1990 US and Canada: $9.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.9M - 43
Dec 11, 1990 US and Canada: $9.2M Rest of the world: $402.3K Worldwide: $9.6M - 44
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990)Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $7.7M Rest of the world: $802.6K Worldwide: $8.5M
Apr 6, 1990 · English · Drama, Crime $8.5M worldwide - 45
Mar 16, 1990 US and Canada: $8.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.2M - 46
Nov 23, 1990 US and Canada: $7.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.7M - 47
Dec 1, 1990 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: $2K Worldwide: $5.8M - 48
Feb 9, 1990 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.8M - 49
Oct 5, 1990 US and Canada: $5.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.1M - 50
Mar 9, 1990 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1990?
Of the top 10, 3 Men and a Little Lady (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Rocky V (1990) made 66% of its gross abroad. Across all 124 films, $1.8B (67%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Ghost (1990) $505.7M $217.6M US & Canada · 43% $288.1M elsewhere · 57%
- 2 Dances with Wolves (1990) $424.2M $184.2M US & Canada · 43% $240M elsewhere · 57%
- 3 Days of Thunder (1990) $157.9M $82.7M US & Canada · 52% $75.3M elsewhere · 48%
- 4 Another 48 Hrs. (1990) $153.5M $80.8M US & Canada · 53% $72.7M elsewhere · 47%
- 5 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M $66.8M US & Canada · 49% $70.1M elsewhere · 51%
- 6 Rocky V (1990) $119.9M $40.9M US & Canada · 34% $79M elsewhere · 66%
- 7 Edward Scissorhands (1990) $86M $56.4M US & Canada · 66% $29.7M elsewhere · 34%
- 8 3 Men and a Little Lady (1990) $71.6M $71.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Flatliners (1990) $61.5M $61.5M US & Canada · 100% $373 elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Misery (1990) $61.3M $61.3M US & Canada · 100% $725 elsewhere · <1%
Gross bands
How Many 1990 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
6 of 124 films crossed $100M and took $1.5B between them, 55% of the total. 83 films, 67% of the list, earned under $10M.
19% 37% 38%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 1 film, <1% of the list $505.7M · 19% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 5 films, 4% of the list $992.5M · 37% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 35 films, 28% of the list $1B · 38% of the gross
- Under $10M 83 films, 67% of the list $171.9M · 6% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 1990 Earned the Most?
November releases took the most, $724.1M from 15 films, led by Dances with Wolves (1990). May was the quietest month ($8.8M). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Internal Affairs (1990) $30.8M Internal Affairs (1990)
- February Feb Hard to Kill (1990) $127.7M Hard to Kill (1990)
- March Mar Lord of the Flies (1990) $52.2M Lord of the Flies (1990)
- April Apr The Guardian (1990) $66.6M The Guardian (1990)
- May May Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) $8.8M Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)
- June Jun Days of Thunder (1990) $313M Days of Thunder (1990)
- July Jul Ghost (1990) $505.8M Ghost (1990)
- August Aug Flatliners (1990) $161.5M Flatliners (1990)
- September Sep Goodfellas (1990) $103.2M Goodfellas (1990)
- October Oct Marked for Death (1990) $198.8M Marked for Death (1990)
- November Nov Dances with Wolves (1990) $724.1M Dances with Wolves (1990)
- December Dec The Godfather: Part III (1990) $407.8M The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Last 10 years
How Does 1990 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1990 earned the most: $2.7B from 124 films, led by Ghost (1990).
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 67 films | 67 | $889.5M | – | On Golden Pond (1981) $119.3M |
| 1982 86 films · +43% | 86 | $1.3B | +43% | Tootsie (1982) $177.2M |
| 1983 77 films · −11% | 77 | $1.1B | −11% | Terms of Endearment (1983) $108.4M |
| 1984 90 films · +23% | 90 | $1.4B | +23% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| 1985 88 films · +8% | 88 | $1.5B | +8% | Rocky IV (1985) $300.5M |
| 1986 106 films · −7% | 106 | $1.4B | −7% | Top Gun (1986) $357.3M |
| 1987 129 films · +21% | 129 | $1.7B | +21% | Fatal Attraction (1987) $320.1M |
| 1988 139 films · +25% | 139 | $2.1B | +25% | Rain Man (1988) $354.8M |
| 1989 115 films · −5% | 115 | $2B | −5% | Dead Poets Society (1989) $235.9M |
| 1990 124 films · +33% | 124 | $2.7B | +33% | Ghost (1990) $505.7M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1990?
English-language drama films took $2.6B across 97 films, 96% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($13.7M) and Spanish-language drama films ($4.1M).
1990 Drama Box Office by Language
- English $2.6B97 films · #1 Ghost (1990)
-
French $13.7M9 films · #1 Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) -
Spanish $4.1M1 film · #1 Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) -
Japanese $3.5M3 films · #1 Dreams (1990) -
Cantonese $3.3M1 film · #1 Days of Being Wild (1990) -
German $2.6M2 films · #1 The Nasty Girl (1990) -
Italian $1.9M2 films · #1 Everybody’s Fine (1990) -
Czech $20.4K1 film · #1 Larks on a String (1969) -
Malayalam $6.1K1 film · #1 Dr. Pasupathy (1990) -
Persian $3.5K1 film · #1 The Nights of Zayandeh-Rood (1990)
Archive
Drama Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1919 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $13.9B, led by The Lion King (2019).
2020s 7 years · $50.1B
2010s 10 years · $113.6B
- 2019 $13.9B #1 The Lion King (2019)
- 2018 $12.7B #1 Black Panther (2018)
- 2017 $12.5B #1 Wolf Warrior 2 (2017)
- 2016 $11.1B #1 The Jungle Book (2016)
- 2015 $11.6B #1 Inside Out (2015)
- 2014 $10.3B #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
- 2013 $12.1B #1 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- 2012 $12B #1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- 2011 $7.8B #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
- 2010 $9.6B #1 Inception (2010)
2000s 10 years · $70.7B
- 2009 $9.9B #1 2012 (2009)
- 2008 $10.6B #1 The Dark Knight (2008)
- 2007 $7.6B #1 I Am Legend (2007)
- 2006 $7.5B #1 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
- 2005 $8.1B #1 War of the Worlds (2005)
- 2004 $6.4B #1 The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- 2003 $5B #1 Bruce Almighty (2003)
- 2002 $5.2B #1 Signs (2002)
- 2001 $4.6B #1 Pearl Harbor (2001)
- 2000 $5.8B #1 Gladiator (2000)
1990s 10 years · $42.3B
- 1999 $5.2B #1 The Sixth Sense (1999)
- 1998 $4.9B #1 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- 1997 $5.9B #1 Titanic (1997)
- 1996 $4.5B #1 Twister (1996)
- 1995 $4.8B #1 Apollo 13 (1995)
- 1994 $4.3B #1 The Lion King (1994)
- 1993 $4.7B #1 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- 1992 $2.9B #1 The Bodyguard (1992)
- 1991 $2.4B #1 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
- 1990 $2.7B #1 Ghost (1990)
1980s 10 years · $14.2B
- 1989 $2B #1 Dead Poets Society (1989)
- 1988 $2.1B #1 Rain Man (1988)
- 1987 $1.7B #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 1986 $1.4B #1 Top Gun (1986)
- 1985 $1.5B #1 Rocky IV (1985)
- 1984 $1.4B #1 Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- 1983 $1.1B #1 Terms of Endearment (1983)
- 1982 $1.3B #1 Tootsie (1982)
- 1981 $889.5M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
- 1980 $674.6M #1 Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
1970s 10 years · $5B
- 1979 $919.3M #1 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
- 1978 $585M #1 Jaws 2 (1978)
- 1977 $832.1M #1 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
- 1976 $378.6M #1 Rocky (1976)
- 1975 $303.6M #1 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
- 1974 $439.5M #1 The Towering Inferno (1974)
- 1973 $869.6M #1 The Exorcist (1973)
- 1972 $337M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- 1971 $133.4M #1 The French Connection (1971)
- 1970 $229.2M #1 Airport (1970)
1960s 10 years · $865.1M
- 1969 $164M #1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- 1968 $59.2M #1 Funny Girl (1968)
- 1967 $166.8M #1 The Graduate (1967)
- 1966 $29.7M #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- 1965 $272.6M #1 The Sound of Music (1965)
- 1964 $74.9M #1 My Fair Lady (1964)
- 1963 $63.5M #1 Cleopatra (1963)
- 1962 $6M #1 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- 1961 $6.5M #1 Mother and a Guest (1961)
- 1960 $21.9M #1 The Apartment (1960)
1950s 10 years · $438.7M
- 1959 $75M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $3.3M #1 Touch of Evil (1958)
- 1957 $32.5M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $119.9M #1 The Ten Commandments (1956)
- 1955 $95.8M #1 Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 1954 $32.7M #1 The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- 1953 $36.8M #1 The Robe (1953)
- 1952 $36.5M #1 The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- 1951 $4.5M #1 Ace in the Hole (1951)
- 1950 $1.5M #1 Shadow on the Wall (1950)
1940s 10 years · $775.9M
- 1949 $164.2K #1 Stray Dog (1949)
- 1948 $6.2M #1 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- 1947 $11.1M #1 It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
- 1946 $54.6M #1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
- 1945 $22M #1 The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- 1944 $102.5K #1 Henry V (1944)
- 1943 $4.9M #1 Casablanca (1943)
- 1942 $270.1M #1 Bambi (1942)
- 1941 $1.8M #1 Citizen Kane (1941)
- 1940 $404.9M #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
1930s 10 years · $2.8M
- 1939 $1.1M #1 Wuthering Heights (1939)
- 1938 $47.4K #1 Port of Shadows (1938)
- 1937 $19.3K #1 Stage Door (1937)
- 1936 $536.4K #1 Modern Times (1936)
- 1935 $516K #1 Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
- 1934 $13.2K #1 L’Atalante (1934)
- 1933 $451.3K #1 Baby Face (1933)
- 1932 $47.1K #1 The Old Dark House (1932)
- 1931 $46.6K #1 M (1931)
- 1930 $5.1K #1 The Blue Angel (1930)
1920s 8 years · $10.4M
- 1929 $89.2K #1 Pandora’s Box (1929)
- 1928 $40.9K #1 The Air Circus (1928)
- 1927 $161.5K #1 Sunrise (1927)
- 1926 $720.7K #1 Flesh and the Devil (1926)
- 1925 $82.5K #1 The Gold Rush (1925)
- 1923 $12.9K #1 A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
- 1921 $9.2M #1 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- 1920 $9.3K #1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
1910s 1 year · $160
FAQ
Drama Box Office 1990: 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 124 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1990?
Ghost (1990) leads with $505.7M worldwide, $217.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Dances with Wolves (1990) at $424.2M and Days of Thunder (1990) at $157.9M.
How much did drama movies released in 1990 earn?
124 drama films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $2.7B in all, or $21.8M per film on average. 1989 releases took $2B.
How many drama movies released in 1990 made $1 billion?
None. 6 films crossed $100 million, led by Ghost (1990) with $505.7M.
How is the 1990 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 1990. 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 1990 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.