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Family box office · 1983

Family Box Office 1983: Highest-Grossing Family Movies

A Christmas Story (1983) is the highest-grossing family movie released in 1983, with $20.8M worldwide, ahead of Max Dugan Returns (1983) at $17.6M and The Black Stallion Returns (1983) at $12M. 5 family films released in 1983 report a worldwide gross, $60.1M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 56% on 1982, whose releases took $136.9M. By language, English leads with $60.1M across 5 family releases.

1983 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$60.1M
A Christmas Story (1983), the #1
$20.8M
vs 1982
−56%
A Christmas Story (1983) movie poster #1 of 5
#1 family movie of 1983

A Christmas Story (1983)

1983 · Comedy, Family

$20.8M worldwide · 35% of the chart's total

$20.8M US & Canada · 100% $14.5K elsewhere · <1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Family Hits of 1983?

A Christmas Story (1983) leads with $20.8M, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $60.1M, 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.

  1. A Christmas Story (1983) movie poster Number 1
    $20.8M A Christmas Story (1983)
    $20.8M US & Canada · 100% $14.5K elsewhere · <1%
  2. Max Dugan Returns (1983) movie poster Number 2
    $17.6M Max Dugan Returns (1983)
    $17.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. The Black Stallion Returns (1983) movie poster Number 3
    $12M The Black Stallion Returns (1983)
    $12M US & Canada · 100% $406 elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Golden Seal (1983) movie poster Number 4
    $6.7M The Golden Seal (1983)
    $6.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) movie poster Number 5
    $2.9M Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
    $2.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Family Release of 1983, 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 1983.

  1. 1 A Christmas Story (1983) movie poster
    A Christmas Story (1983) Nov 18, 1983 · English · Comedy, Family $20.8M worldwide
    Nov 18, 1983 US and Canada: $20.8M Rest of the world: $14.5K Worldwide: $20.8M
  2. 2 Max Dugan Returns (1983) movie poster
    Max Dugan Returns (1983) Mar 25, 1983 · English · Comedy, Family, Drama $17.6M worldwide
    Mar 25, 1983 US and Canada: $17.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.6M
  3. 3 The Black Stallion Returns (1983) movie poster
    The Black Stallion Returns (1983) Mar 25, 1983 · English · Adventure, Family $12M worldwide
    Mar 25, 1983 US and Canada: $12M Rest of the world: $406 Worldwide: $12M
  4. 4 The Golden Seal (1983) movie poster
    The Golden Seal (1983) Aug 12, 1983 · English · Drama, Family $6.7M worldwide
    Aug 12, 1983 US and Canada: $6.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.7M
  5. 5 Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) movie poster
    Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) Sep 22, 1983 · English · Drama, Family $2.9M worldwide
    Sep 22, 1983 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.9M
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1983?

Of the top 5, Max Dugan Returns (1983) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while A Christmas Story (1983) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $60M (100%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 A Christmas Story (1983) $20.8M
    $20.8M US & Canada · 100% $14.5K elsewhere · <1%
  2. 2 Max Dugan Returns (1983) $17.6M
    $17.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 The Black Stallion Returns (1983) $12M
    $12M US & Canada · 100% $406 elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Golden Seal (1983) $6.7M
    $6.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) $2.9M
    $2.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month

Which Month of 1983 Earned the Most?

March releases took the most, $29.7M from 2 films, led by Max Dugan Returns (1983). September was the quietest month ($2.9M). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar Max Dugan Returns (1983) $29.7M Max Dugan Returns (1983)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug The Golden Seal (1983) $6.7M The Golden Seal (1983)
  9. September Sep Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) $2.9M Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov A Christmas Story (1983) $20.8M A Christmas Story (1983)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1983 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1977 earned the most: $206.1M from 9 films, led by The Rescuers (1977). 1983 took $60.1M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1974 5 films 5 $105.3M – Benji (1974) $39.6M
1975 2 films · −65% 2 $36.9M −65% The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) $36.9M
1976 5 films · +68% 5 $61.9M +68% The Bad News Bears (1976) $32.2M
1977 9 films · +233% 9 $206.1M +233% The Rescuers (1977) $71.2M
1978 4 films · −75% 4 $51.5M −75% The Wiz (1978) $21M
1979 3 films · +143% 3 $125.2M +143% The Muppet Movie (1979) $66.5M
1980 5 films · −26% 5 $92.5M −26% Popeye (1980) $49.8M
1981 8 films · +83% 8 $169.1M +83% The Fox and the Hound (1981) $63.5M
1982 7 films · −19% 7 $136.9M −19% Annie (1982) $57.1M
1983 5 films · −56% 5 $60.1M −56% A Christmas Story (1983) $20.8M
Archive

Family Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1938 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $9.1B, led by The Lion King (2019).

2020s 7 years · $22.3B
2010s 10 years · $62.9B
2000s 10 years · $44.3B
1990s 10 years · $14.6B
1980s 10 years · $3.1B
1970s 9 years · $811.6M
1960s 9 years · $657.6M
1950s 9 years · $412.6M
1940s 8 years · $438.2M
1930s 2 years · $210.7M
FAQ

Family Box Office 1983: 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 family movie in 1983?

A Christmas Story (1983) leads with $20.8M worldwide, $20.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Max Dugan Returns (1983) at $17.6M and The Black Stallion Returns (1983) at $12M.

How much did family movies released in 1983 earn?

5 family films released in 1983 report a worldwide gross, $60.1M in all, or $12M per film on average. 1982 releases took $136.9M.

How many family movies released in 1983 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, A Christmas Story (1983), earned $20.8M.

How much of the 1983 Family box office came from the US and Canada?

$60M of the $60.1M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1983 family 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 1983. 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 1983 family 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.