#1 of 5 #1 romance movie of October 1988
1988 · Drama, Comedy
$21M worldwide · 53% of the chart's total
$21M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Romance box office · October 1988
Romance Box Office, October 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
Punchline (1988) is the highest-grossing romance movie released in October 1988, with $21M worldwide, ahead of Mystic Pizza (1988) at $12.8M and Torch Song Trilogy (1988) at $4.9M. 5 romance films released in October 1988 report a worldwide gross, $40.1M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 27% on September 1988, whose releases took $54.8M. By language, English leads with $38.7M across 3 romance releases.
- October 1988 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $40.1M
- Punchline (1988), the #1
- $21M
- vs September 1988
- −27%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Romance Hits of October 1988?
Punchline (1988) leads with $21M, 53% of the total. The top 5 together took $40.1M, 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.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Romance 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 Oct 7, 1988 US and Canada: $21M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21M
- 2 Oct 14, 1988 US and Canada: $12.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.8M
- 3 Oct 25, 1988 US and Canada: $4.9M Rest of the world: $4.9K Worldwide: $4.9M
- 4 Oct 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
- 5 Oct 10, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $108.4K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1988?
Of the top 5, Punchline (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Torch Song Trilogy (1988) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $40M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Punchline (1988) $21M $21M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Mystic Pizza (1988) $12.8M $12.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Torch Song Trilogy (1988) $4.9M $4.9M US & Canada · 100% $4.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Little Vera (1988) $1.3M $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Red Sorghum (1988) $108.4K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of October 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 41 (Oct 2–8) took $21M, led by Punchline (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 25–Oct 1 Little Vera (1988) $1.3M Little Vera (1988)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 2–8 Punchline (1988) $21M Punchline (1988)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 9–15 Mystic Pizza (1988) $12.9M Mystic Pizza (1988)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 16–22 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 23–29 Torch Song Trilogy (1988) $4.9M Torch Song Trilogy (1988)
- 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 1986 earned the most: $130.9M from 5 films, led by Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). October 1988 took $40.1M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1979 2 films | 2 | $110.5M | – | 10 (1979) $74.9M |
| October 1980 4 films · −84% | 4 | $17.6M | −84% | Somewhere in Time (1980) $9.7M |
| October 1981 3 films · +159% | 3 | $45.7M | +159% | The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) $26.9M |
| October 1982 2 films · −99% | 2 | $291K | −99% | Split Image (1982) $263.6K |
| October 1983 2 films · +8180% | 2 | $24.1M | +8180% | All the Right Moves (1983) $17.2M |
| October 1984 5 films · −31% | 5 | $16.6M | −31% | The Razor's Edge (1984) $6.6M |
| October 1985 2 films · +49% | 2 | $24.7M | +49% | Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) $14.4M |
| October 1986 5 films · +430% | 5 | $130.9M | +430% | Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) $41.4M |
| October 1987 8 films · −65% | 8 | $45.2M | −65% | Baby Boom (1987) $26.7M |
| October 1988 5 films · −11% | 5 | $40.1M | −11% | Punchline (1988) $21M |
Archive
Romance Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: June leads with $491.6M, led by Coming to America (1988).
- January $18.1M #1 For Keeps? (1988)
- February $51.1M #1 She's Having a Baby (1988)
- March $24.3M #1 Masquerade (1988)
- April $16.3M #1 Casual Sex? (1988)
- May $62.8M #1 Willow (1988)
- June $491.6M #1 Coming to America (1988)
- July $216.8M #1 Cocktail (1988)
- August $58.8M #1 Married to the Mob (1988)
- September $54.8M #1 Cinema Paradiso (1988)
- October $40.1M #1 Punchline (1988)
- November $49.5M #1 Cocoon: The Return (1988)
- December $295.5M #1 Working Girl (1988)
FAQ
Romance 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing romance movie in October 1988?
Punchline (1988) leads with $21M worldwide, $21M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Mystic Pizza (1988) at $12.8M and Torch Song Trilogy (1988) at $4.9M.
How much did romance movies released in October 1988 earn?
5 romance films released in October 1988 report a worldwide gross, $40.1M in all, or $8M per film on average. September 1988 releases took $54.8M.
How many romance movies released in October 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Punchline (1988), earned $21M.
How is the October 1988 romance 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 romance 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.