#1 of 6 #1 horror movie of May 1989
1989 · Action, Horror
$9.1M worldwide · 96% of the chart's total
$9.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Horror box office · May 1989
Horror Box Office, May 1989: Top-Grossing Releases
Warlock (1989) is the highest-grossing horror movie released in May 1989, with $9.1M worldwide, ahead of The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) at $192.8K and Night Visitor (1989) at $166.6K. 6 horror films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $9.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 85% on April 1989, whose releases took $65.3M. By language, English leads with $9.5M across 6 horror releases.
- May 1989 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $9.5M
- Warlock (1989), the #1
- $9.1M
- vs April 1989
- −85%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Horror Hits of May 1989?
Warlock (1989) leads with $9.1M, 96% of the total. The top 5 together took $9.5M, almost all of what the 6 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 Horror Release of May 1989, 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 1989.
- 1 May 1, 1989 US and Canada: $9.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.1M
- 2 The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)May 12, 1989 US and Canada: $192.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $192.8K
May 12, 1989 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $192.8K worldwide - 3 May 12, 1989 US and Canada: $166.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $166.6K
- 4 May 11, 1989 US and Canada: $50.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $50.4K
- 5 May 18, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $536
- 6
May 13, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $118
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1989?
Of the top 6, Warlock (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Spontaneous Combustion (1989) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $9.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 6 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Warlock (1989) $9.1M $9.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) $192.8K $192.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Night Visitor (1989) $166.6K $166.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Spontaneous Combustion (1989) $50.4K $50.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Food of the Gods II (1989) $536 No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Society (1989) $118 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1989 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 30–May 6) took $9.1M, led by Warlock (1989). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 Warlock (1989) $9.1M Warlock (1989)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) $409.9K The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 14–20 Food of the Gods II (1989) $536 Food of the Gods II (1989)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 21–27 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 28–Jun 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1989 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1980 earned the most: $87.9M from 3 films, led by The Shining (1980). May 1989 took $9.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1980 3 films | 3 | $87.9M | – | The Shining (1980) $48M |
| May 1981 3 films · −72% | 3 | $24.8M | −72% | Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) $21.7M |
| May 1982 3 films · −26% | 3 | $18.2M | −26% | Visiting Hours (1982) $13.3M |
| May 1983 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1984 1 film | 1 | $17.1M | – | Firestarter (1984) $17.1M |
| May 1985 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1986 3 films | 3 | $41M | – | Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) $41M |
| May 1987 2 films · −67% | 2 | $13.5M | −67% | The Gate (1987) $13.5M |
| May 1988 5 films · +48% | 5 | $20.1M | +48% | Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) $19.2M |
| May 1989 6 films · −53% | 6 | $9.5M | −53% | Warlock (1989) $9.1M |
Archive
Horror Box Office in 1989, Month by Month
The months of 1989 with their totals: April leads with $65.3M, led by Pet Sematary (1989).
- January $9.9M #1 DeepStar Six (1989)
- February $38.9M #1 The Fly II (1989)
- March $15.7M #1 Leviathan (1989)
- April $65.3M #1 Pet Sematary (1989)
- May $9.5M #1 Warlock (1989)
- June $728K #1 Vampire's Kiss (1989)
- July $14.3M #1 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
- August $29.2M #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
- September No grosses
- October $28.4M #1 Shocker (1989)
- November $2.4M #1 Communion (1989)
- December No grosses
FAQ
Horror Box Office May 1989: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing horror movie in May 1989?
Warlock (1989) leads with $9.1M worldwide, $9.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) at $192.8K and Night Visitor (1989) at $166.6K.
How much did horror movies released in May 1989 earn?
6 horror films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $9.5M in all, or $1.6M per film on average. April 1989 releases took $65.3M.
How many horror movies released in May 1989 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Warlock (1989), earned $9.1M.
How is the May 1989 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 May 1989. 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 1989 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.