#1 of 3 #1 thriller movie of April 1981
1981 · Action, Thriller
$19.9M worldwide · 89% of the chart's total
$14.9M US & Canada · 75% $5M elsewhere · 25%
Thriller box office · April 1981
Thriller Box Office, April 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Nighthawks (1981) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in April 1981, with $19.9M worldwide, ahead of The Hand (1981) at $2.4M and Ms. 45 (1981) at $91. 3 thriller films released in April 1981 report a worldwide gross, $22.4M in all, 78% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 13% on March 1981, whose releases took $25.8M.
- April 1981 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $22.4M
- Nighthawks (1981), the #1
- $19.9M
- vs March 1981
- −13%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of April 1981?
Nighthawks (1981) leads with $19.9M, 89% of the total. The top 3 together took $22.4M, almost all of what the 3 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Thriller Release of April 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 April 1981.
- 1 Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: $5M Worldwide: $19.9M
- 2 Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: $2.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.4M
- 3 Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $91
By release week
Which Week of April 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 15 (Apr 5–11) took $19.9M, led by Nighthawks (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 14 Wk 14 Mar 29–Apr 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 15 Wk 15 Apr 5–11 Nighthawks (1981) $19.9M Nighthawks (1981)
- Week 16 Wk 16 Apr 12–18 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 17 Wk 17 Apr 19–25 The Hand (1981) $2.4M The Hand (1981)
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does April 1981 Compare With April in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, April 1976 earned the most: $78.9M from 3 films, led by All the President's Men (1976). April 1981 took $22.4M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1972 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| April 1973 1 film | 1 | $11 | – | Scorpio (1973) $11 |
| April 1974 2 films · +44441273% | 2 | $4.9M | +44441273% | The Conversation (1974) $4.9M |
| April 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| April 1976 3 films | 3 | $78.9M | – | All the President's Men (1976) $70.6M |
| April 1977 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| April 1978 1 film | 1 | $20.4M | – | F.I.S.T. (1978) $20.4M |
| April 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| April 1980 1 film | 1 | $228.5K | – | Haunted Tales (1980) $228.5K |
| April 1981 3 films · +9684% | 3 | $22.4M | +9684% | Nighthawks (1981) $19.9M |
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 April 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing thriller movie in April 1981?
Nighthawks (1981) leads with $19.9M worldwide, $14.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Hand (1981) at $2.4M and Ms. 45 (1981) at $91.
How much did thriller movies released in April 1981 earn?
3 thriller films released in April 1981 report a worldwide gross, $22.4M in all, or $7.5M per film on average. March 1981 releases took $25.8M.
How many thriller movies released in April 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Nighthawks (1981), earned $19.9M.
How is the April 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 April 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 April 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.