#1 of 4 #1 sci-fi movie of May 1989
1989 · Sci-Fi, Comedy
$3.9M worldwide · 94% of the chart's total
$3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Sci-Fi box office · May 1989
Sci-Fi Box Office, May 1989: Top-Grossing Releases
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in May 1989, with $3.9M worldwide, ahead of The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) at $192.8K and Spontaneous Combustion (1989) at $50.4K. 4 sci-fi films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $4.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- May 1989 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $4.2M
- Earth Girls Are Easy (1989), the #1
- $3.9M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of May 1989?
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) leads with $3.9M, 94% of the total. The top 4 together took $4.2M, 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 Sci-Fi 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 12, 1989 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.9M
- 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 11, 1989 US and Canada: $50.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $50.4K
- 4 May 18, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $536
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1989?
Of the top 4, Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Spontaneous Combustion (1989) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $4.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 4 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) $3.9M $3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) $192.8K $192.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Spontaneous Combustion (1989) $50.4K $50.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Food of the Gods II (1989) $536 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1989 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 7–13) took $4.2M, led by Earth Girls Are Easy (1989). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) $4.2M Earth Girls Are Easy (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: $550M from 2 films, led by Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). May 1989 took $4.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1980 2 films | 2 | $550M | – | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $550M |
| May 1981 1 film · −97% | 1 | $17.4M | −97% | Outland (1981) $17.4M |
| May 1982 2 films · +38% | 2 | $24M | +38% | The Road Warrior (1982) $23.7M |
| May 1983 3 films · +2151% | 3 | $541.3M | +2151% | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M |
| May 1984 1 film · −97% | 1 | $17.1M | −97% | Firestarter (1984) $17.1M |
| May 1985 2 films · −68% | 2 | $5.5M | −68% | Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (1985) $3.4M |
| May 1986 1 film · +642% | 1 | $40.7M | +642% | Short Circuit (1986) $40.7M |
| May 1987 1 film · −100% | 1 | $159.7K | −100% | Gor (1987) $159.7K |
| May 1988 3 films · −47% | 3 | $84.6K | −47% | Hanussen (1988) $82.6K |
| May 1989 4 films · +4817% | 4 | $4.2M | +4817% | Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) $3.9M |
Archive
Sci-Fi Box Office in 1989, Month by Month
The months of 1989 with their totals: June leads with $490.3M, led by Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).
- January $9M #1 DeepStar Six (1989)
- February $79.4M #1 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
- March $16.2M #1 Leviathan (1989)
- April $10.2M #1 Cyborg (1989)
- May $4.2M #1 Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
- June $490.3M #1 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
- July $729K #1 Patlabor: The Movie (1989)
- August $96.3M #1 The Abyss (1989)
- September No grosses
- October $2.3M #1 Robot Jox (1989)
- November $335.1M #1 Back to the Future Part II (1989)
- December No grosses
FAQ
Sci-Fi 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 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in May 1989?
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) leads with $3.9M worldwide, $3.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) at $192.8K and Spontaneous Combustion (1989) at $50.4K.
How much did sci-fi movies released in May 1989 earn?
4 sci-fi films released in May 1989 report a worldwide gross, $4.2M in all, or $1M per film on average.
How many sci-fi movies released in May 1989 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Earth Girls Are Easy (1989), earned $3.9M.
How is the May 1989 sci-fi 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 sci-fi 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.