#1 of 5 #1 thriller movie of October 1981
1981 · Thriller, Horror
$25.5M worldwide · 83% of the chart's total
$25.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Thriller box office · October 1981
Thriller Box Office, October 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Halloween II (1981) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in October 1981, with $25.5M worldwide, ahead of The Watcher in the Woods (1981) at $5M and Roar (1981) at $110.4K. 5 thriller films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $30.6M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $30.6M across 5 thriller releases.
- October 1981 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $30.6M
- Halloween II (1981), the #1
- $25.5M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of October 1981?
Halloween II (1981) leads with $25.5M, 83% of the total. The top 5 together took $30.6M, 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 Thriller Release of October 1981, 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 1981.
- 1 Oct 30, 1981 US and Canada: $25.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.5M
- 2 Oct 9, 1981 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
- 3 Oct 30, 1981 US and Canada: $110K Rest of the world: $401 Worldwide: $110.4K
- 4 Oct 23, 1981 US and Canada: $560 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $560
- 5 Oct 1, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $297
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1981?
Of the top 5, Halloween II (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Roar (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $30.6M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Halloween II (1981) $25.5M $25.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Watcher in the Woods (1981) $5M $5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Roar (1981) $110.4K $110K US & Canada · 100% $401 elsewhere · <1%
- 4 The Pit (1981) $560 $560 US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Killing of Angel Street (1981) $297 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of October 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 44 (Oct 25–31) took $25.6M, led by Halloween II (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 27–Oct 3 The Killing of Angel Street (1981) $297 The Killing of Angel Street (1981)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 4–10 The Watcher in the Woods (1981) $5M The Watcher in the Woods (1981)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 11–17 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 18–24 The Pit (1981) $560 The Pit (1981)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 25–31 Halloween II (1981) $25.6M Halloween II (1981)
Earlier years
How Does October 1981 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1978 earned the most: $95.2M from 3 films, led by Halloween (1978). October 1981 took $30.6M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1972 1 film | 1 | $16.9K | – | Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K |
| October 1973 1 film · +265% | 1 | $61.7K | +265% | Mean Streets (1973) $61.7K |
| October 1974 1 film · +50034% | 1 | $30.9M | +50034% | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) $30.9M |
| October 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1976 1 film | 1 | $21.7M | – | Marathon Man (1976) $21.7M |
| October 1977 2 films · −100% | 2 | $39.4K | −100% | The Serpent’s Egg (1977) $39.2K |
| October 1978 3 films · +241904% | 3 | $95.2M | +241904% | Halloween (1978) $47.2M |
| October 1979 3 films · −34% | 3 | $63.1M | −34% | ...and justice for all. (1979) $33.3M |
| October 1980 2 films · −84% | 2 | $10.4M | −84% | Motel Hell (1980) $6.3M |
| October 1981 5 films · +195% | 5 | $30.6M | +195% | Halloween II (1981) $25.5M |
Archive
Thriller Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: December leads with $117.4M, led by Absence of Malice (1981).
- January $15.4M #1 Scanners (1981)
- February $15.2M #1 Eyewitness (1981)
- March $25.8M #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
- April $22.4M #1 Nighthawks (1981)
- May $42.2M #1 Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
- June $54.8M #1 For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- July $40.2M #1 Eye of the Needle (1981)
- August $24.1M #1 Body Heat (1981)
- September $39K #1 The Girl with the Red Hair (1981)
- October $30.6M #1 Halloween II (1981)
- November $8.9M #1 Venom (1981)
- December $117.4M #1 Absence of Malice (1981)
FAQ
Thriller Box Office October 1981: 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 thriller movie in October 1981?
Halloween II (1981) leads with $25.5M worldwide, $25.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Watcher in the Woods (1981) at $5M and Roar (1981) at $110.4K.
How much did thriller movies released in October 1981 earn?
5 thriller films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $30.6M in all, or $6.1M per film on average.
How many thriller movies released in October 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Halloween II (1981), earned $25.5M.
How is the October 1981 thriller 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 1981. 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 1981 thriller 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.