#1 of 4 #1 horror movie of October 1988
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
1988 · Thriller, Horror
$17.8M worldwide · 70% of the chart's total
$17.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Horror box office · October 1988
Horror Box Office, October 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) is the highest-grossing horror movie released in October 1988, with $17.8M worldwide, ahead of Pumpkinhead (1988) at $4.4M and The Kiss (1988) at $1.9M. 4 horror films released in October 1988 report a worldwide gross, $25.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 3.2 times the total of September 1988, whose releases took $7.8M.
- October 1988 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $25.2M
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), the #1
- $17.8M
- vs September 1988
- ×3.2
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Horror Hits of October 1988?
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) leads with $17.8M, 70% of the total. The top 4 together took $25.2M, almost all of what the 4 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Horror Release of October 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 October 1988.
- 1 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)Oct 21, 1988 US and Canada: $17.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.8M
Oct 21, 1988 · English · Thriller, Horror $17.8M worldwide - 2 Oct 14, 1988 US and Canada: $4.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.4M
- 3 Oct 14, 1988 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M
- 4 Oct 21, 1988 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1988?
Of the top 4, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Lair of the White Worm (1988) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $25.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) $17.8M $17.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Pumpkinhead (1988) $4.4M $4.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Kiss (1988) $1.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Lair of the White Worm (1988) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of October 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 43 (Oct 16–22) took $19M, led by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 25–Oct 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 2–8 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 9–15 Pumpkinhead (1988) $6.3M Pumpkinhead (1988)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 16–22 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) $19M Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 23–29 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 45 Wk 45 Oct 30–Nov 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does October 1988 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1981 earned the most: $30.6M from 5 films, led by Halloween II (1981). October 1988 took $25.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1979 2 films | 2 | $21.4M | – | When a Stranger Calls (1979) $21.4M |
| October 1980 1 film · −70% | 1 | $6.3M | −70% | Motel Hell (1980) $6.3M |
| October 1981 5 films · +383% | 5 | $30.6M | +383% | Halloween II (1981) $25.5M |
| October 1982 3 films · −56% | 3 | $13.6M | −56% | Class Reunion (1982) $10.1M |
| October 1983 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1984 1 film | 1 | $10M | – | Terror in the Aisles (1984) $10M |
| October 1985 3 films · +45% | 3 | $14.5M | +45% | Silver Bullet (1985) $12.4M |
| October 1986 2 films · −29% | 2 | $10.2M | −29% | Deadly Friend (1986) $9M |
| October 1987 5 films · +193% | 5 | $30M | +193% | Prince of Darkness (1987) $14.2M |
| October 1988 4 films · −16% | 4 | $25.2M | −16% | Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) $17.8M |
Archive
Horror Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: November leads with $57.6M, led by Child’s Play (1988).
- January $9.2M #1 Return of the Living Dead II (1988)
- February $19.7M #1 The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
- March $386.1K #1 Prison (1988)
- April $43.5M #1 The Seventh Sign (1988)
- May $20.1M #1 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
- June $14.9M #1 Poltergeist III (1988)
- July $12.6M #1 Phantasm II (1988)
- August $57.6M #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- September $7.8M #1 Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
- October $25.2M #1 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- November $57.6M #1 Child’s Play (1988)
- December $16M #1 Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
FAQ
Horror Box Office October 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 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing horror movie in October 1988?
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) leads with $17.8M worldwide, $17.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Pumpkinhead (1988) at $4.4M and The Kiss (1988) at $1.9M.
How much did horror movies released in October 1988 earn?
4 horror films released in October 1988 report a worldwide gross, $25.2M in all, or $6.3M per film on average. September 1988 releases took $7.8M.
How many horror movies released in October 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), earned $17.8M.
How is the October 1988 horror 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 October 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 October 1988 horror 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.