#1 of 3 #1 thriller movie of July 1981
1981 · Thriller, Romance
$17.6M worldwide · 44% of the chart's total
$17.6M US & Canada · 100% $52 elsewhere · <1%
Thriller box office · July 1981
Thriller Box Office, July 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Eye of the Needle (1981) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in July 1981, with $17.6M worldwide, ahead of Blow Out (1981) at $12M and Wolfen (1981) at $10.6M. 3 thriller films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $40.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- July 1981 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $40.2M
- Eye of the Needle (1981), the #1
- $17.6M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of July 1981?
Eye of the Needle (1981) leads with $17.6M, 44% of the total. The top 3 together took $40.2M, 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 July 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 July 1981.
- 1 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $17.6M Rest of the world: $52 Worldwide: $17.6M
- 2 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $12M Rest of the world: $1.5K Worldwide: $12M
- 3 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $10.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.6M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in July 1981?
Of the top 3, Wolfen (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Blow Out (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $40.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Eye of the Needle (1981) $17.6M $17.6M US & Canada · 100% $52 elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Blow Out (1981) $12M $12M US & Canada · 100% $1.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Wolfen (1981) $10.6M $10.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Earlier years
How Does July 1981 Compare With July in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, July 1980 earned the most: $46.9M from 3 films, led by Dressed to Kill (1980). July 1981 took $40.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1972 1 film | 1 | $4.6K | – | Deliverance (1972) $4.6K |
| July 1973 1 film · +50449% | 1 | $2.3M | +50449% | The Day of the Jackal (1973) $2.3M |
| July 1974 2 films · +857% | 2 | $22M | +857% | Death Wish (1974) $22M |
| July 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1976 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1977 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1978 2 films | 2 | $45M | – | Foul Play (1978) $45M |
| July 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1980 3 films | 3 | $46.9M | – | Dressed to Kill (1980) $31.9M |
| July 1981 3 films · −14% | 3 | $40.2M | −14% | Eye of the Needle (1981) $17.6M |
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 July 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 July 1981?
Eye of the Needle (1981) leads with $17.6M worldwide, $17.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Blow Out (1981) at $12M and Wolfen (1981) at $10.6M.
How much did thriller movies released in July 1981 earn?
3 thriller films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $40.2M in all, or $13.4M per film on average.
How many thriller movies released in July 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Eye of the Needle (1981), earned $17.6M.
How is the July 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 July 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 July 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.