#1 of 5 #1 thriller movie of December 1981
1981 · Drama, Thriller
$40.7M worldwide · 35% of the chart's total
$40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Thriller box office · December 1981
Thriller Box Office, December 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Absence of Malice (1981) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in December 1981, with $40.7M worldwide, ahead of Sharky's Machine (1981) at $35.6M and Ghost Story (1981) at $23.4M. 5 thriller films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $117.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 13.1 times the total of November 1981, whose releases took $8.9M. By language, English leads with $117.4M across 5 thriller releases.
- December 1981 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $117.4M
- Absence of Malice (1981), the #1
- $40.7M
- vs November 1981
- ×13.1
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of December 1981?
Absence of Malice (1981) leads with $40.7M, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $117.4M, 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 December 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 December 1981.
- 1 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $40.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $40.7M
- 2 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.6M
- 3 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $23.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.4M
- 4 Dec 11, 1981 US and Canada: $10.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.9M
- 5 Dec 11, 1981 US and Canada: $6.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.9M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1981?
Of the top 5, Absence of Malice (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Amateur (1981) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $117.4M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Absence of Malice (1981) $40.7M $40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Sharky's Machine (1981) $35.6M $35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Ghost Story (1981) $23.4M $23.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Rollover (1981) $10.9M $10.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Amateur (1981) $6.9M $6.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 13–19) took $99.7M, led by Absence of Malice (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Rollover (1981) $17.7M Rollover (1981)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Absence of Malice (1981) $99.7M Absence of Malice (1981)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1981 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1973 earned the most: $470.8M from 3 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). December 1981 took $117.4M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1972 2 films | 2 | $84.6M | – | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
| December 1973 3 films · +457% | 3 | $470.8M | +457% | The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M |
| December 1974 4 films · −61% | 4 | $185M | −61% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| December 1975 2 films · −73% | 2 | $50.5M | −73% | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) $50M |
| December 1976 2 films · +93% | 2 | $97.3M | +93% | Silver Streak (1976) $51.1M |
| December 1977 1 film · −73% | 1 | $26.4M | −73% | The Gauntlet (1977) $26.4M |
| December 1978 1 film · +1038% | 1 | $300.5M | +1038% | Superman (1978) $300.5M |
| December 1979 2 films · −98% | 2 | $6M | −98% | Cuba (1979) $5.6M |
| December 1980 3 films · +834% | 3 | $55.9M | +834% | Flash Gordon (1980) $27.2M |
| December 1981 5 films · +110% | 5 | $117.4M | +110% | Absence of Malice (1981) $40.7M |
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 December 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 December 1981?
Absence of Malice (1981) leads with $40.7M worldwide, $40.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Sharky's Machine (1981) at $35.6M and Ghost Story (1981) at $23.4M.
How much did thriller movies released in December 1981 earn?
5 thriller films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $117.4M in all, or $23.5M per film on average. November 1981 releases took $8.9M.
How many thriller movies released in December 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Absence of Malice (1981), earned $40.7M.
How is the December 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 December 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 December 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.