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History box office · 1988

History Box Office 1988: Highest-Grossing History Movies

Gorillas in the Mist (1988) is the highest-grossing history movie released in 1988, with $61.1M worldwide, ahead of Eight Men Out (1988) at $5.7M and Camille Claudel (1988) at $3.3M. 5 history films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $70.4M in all, 48% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 55% on 1987, whose releases took $157.2M. By language, English leads with $66.8M across 2 history releases.

1988 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$70.4M
Gorillas in the Mist (1988), the #1
$61.1M
vs 1987
−55%
Gorillas in the Mist (1988) movie poster #1 of 5
#1 history movie of 1988

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

1988 · History, Drama

$61.1M worldwide · 87% of the chart's total

$24.7M US & Canada · 40% $36.4M elsewhere · 60%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest History Hits of 1988?

Gorillas in the Mist (1988) leads with $61.1M, 87% of the total. The top 5 together took $70.4M, 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. Gorillas in the Mist (1988) movie poster Number 1
    $61.1M Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
    $24.7M US & Canada · 40% $36.4M elsewhere · 60%
  2. Eight Men Out (1988) movie poster Number 2
    $5.7M Eight Men Out (1988)
    $5.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Camille Claudel (1988) movie poster Number 3
    $3.3M Camille Claudel (1988)
    $3.3M US & Canada · 100% $595 elsewhere · <1%
  4. Red Sorghum (1988) movie poster Number 4
    $108.4K Red Sorghum (1988)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Hanussen (1988) movie poster Number 5
    $82.6K Hanussen (1988)
    $82.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every History Release of 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 1988.

  1. 1 Gorillas in the Mist (1988) movie poster
    Gorillas in the Mist (1988) Sep 23, 1988 · English · History, Drama $61.1M worldwide
    Sep 23, 1988 US and Canada: $24.7M Rest of the world: $36.4M Worldwide: $61.1M
  2. 2 Eight Men Out (1988) movie poster
    Eight Men Out (1988) Sep 2, 1988 · English · Drama, History, Sport $5.7M worldwide
    Sep 2, 1988 US and Canada: $5.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.7M
  3. 3 Camille Claudel (1988) movie poster
    Camille Claudel (1988) Dec 7, 1988 · French · Romance, History, Drama $3.3M worldwide
    Dec 7, 1988 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $595 Worldwide: $3.3M
  4. 4 Red Sorghum (1988) movie poster
    Red Sorghum (1988) Oct 10, 1988 · Chinese · History, Drama, Romance $108.4K worldwide
    Oct 10, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $108.4K
  5. 5 Hanussen (1988) movie poster
    Hanussen (1988) May 20, 1988 · Hungarian · Fantasy, History, Sci-Fi $82.6K worldwide
    May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $82.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $82.6K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1988?

Of the top 5, Eight Men Out (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Gorillas in the Mist (1988) made 60% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $33.8M (48%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Gorillas in the Mist (1988) $61.1M
    $24.7M US & Canada · 40% $36.4M elsewhere · 60%
  2. 2 Eight Men Out (1988) $5.7M
    $5.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Camille Claudel (1988) $3.3M
    $3.3M US & Canada · 100% $595 elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 Red Sorghum (1988) $108.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Hanussen (1988) $82.6K
    $82.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month

Which Month of 1988 Earned the Most?

September releases took the most, $66.8M from 2 films, led by Gorillas in the Mist (1988). May was the quietest month ($82.6K). 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 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May Hanussen (1988) $82.6K Hanussen (1988)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep Gorillas in the Mist (1988) $66.8M Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
  10. October Oct Red Sorghum (1988) $108.4K Red Sorghum (1988)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec Camille Claudel (1988) $3.3M Camille Claudel (1988)
Last 10 years

How Does 1988 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1987 earned the most: $157.2M from 10 films, led by The Untouchables (1987). 1988 took $70.4M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1979 3 films 3 $1.9M – Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M
1980 2 films · +114% 2 $4M +114% Kagemusha (1980) $4M
1981 7 films · +1977% 7 $83.5M +1977% Reds (1981) $40.4M
1982 7 films · −36% 7 $53.3M −36% Quest for Fire (1982) $21M
1983 3 films · +39% 3 $74M +39% Gandhi (1983) $52.8M
1984 3 films · −14% 3 $63.8M −14% Amadeus (1984) $52.3M
1985 10 films · +16% 10 $73.7M +16% The Killing Fields (1985) $34.7M
1986 7 films · −68% 7 $23.6M −68% The Mission (1986) $17.5M
1987 10 films · +566% 10 $157.2M +566% The Untouchables (1987) $76.3M
1988 5 films · −55% 5 $70.4M −55% Gorillas in the Mist (1988) $61.1M
Archive

History Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2023 leads with $2.8B, led by Oppenheimer (2023).

2020s 7 years · $6.8B
2010s 10 years · $11.6B
2000s 10 years · $6.7B
1990s 10 years · $2.6B
1980s 10 years · $628.2M
1970s 9 years · $171.8M
1960s 10 years · $108.7M
1950s 9 years · $177.5M
1940s 5 years · $402.5M
1930s 4 years · $29.1K
1920s 3 years · $124.9K
1910s 1 year · $9.7K
FAQ

History Box Office 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing history movie in 1988?

Gorillas in the Mist (1988) leads with $61.1M worldwide, $24.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Eight Men Out (1988) at $5.7M and Camille Claudel (1988) at $3.3M.

How much did history movies released in 1988 earn?

5 history films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $70.4M in all, or $14.1M per film on average. 1987 releases took $157.2M.

How many history movies released in 1988 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Gorillas in the Mist (1988), earned $61.1M.

How much of the 1988 History box office came from the US and Canada?

$33.8M of the $70.4M total, or 48%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1988 history 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 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 1988 history 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.