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War box office · 1980

War Box Office 1980: Highest-Grossing War Movies

Private Benjamin (1980) is the highest-grossing war movie released in 1980, with $69.8M worldwide, ahead of The Big Red One (1980) at $7.2M and Kagemusha (1980) at $4M. 6 war films released in 1980 report a worldwide gross, $81.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 64% on 1979, whose releases took $228.1M. By language, English leads with $7.4M across 3 war releases.

1980 releases with a gross
6
combined worldwide
$81.3M
Private Benjamin (1980), the #1
$69.8M
vs 1979
−64%
Private Benjamin (1980) movie poster #1 of 6
#1 war movie of 1980

Private Benjamin (1980)

1980 · Comedy, War

$69.8M worldwide · 86% of the chart's total

$69.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest War Hits of 1980?

Private Benjamin (1980) leads with $69.8M, 86% of the total. The top 5 together took $81.3M, almost all of what the 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Private Benjamin (1980) movie poster Number 1
    $69.8M Private Benjamin (1980)
    $69.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Big Red One (1980) movie poster Number 2
    $7.2M The Big Red One (1980)
    $7.2M US & Canada · 100% $603 elsewhere · <1%
  3. Kagemusha (1980) movie poster Number 3
    $4M Kagemusha (1980)
    $4M US & Canada · 100% $18.5K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Sea Wolves (1980) movie poster Number 4
    $220.2K The Sea Wolves (1980)
    $220.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. The Tin Drum (1980) movie poster Number 5
    $7.5K The Tin Drum (1980)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every War Release of 1980, 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 1980.

  1. 1 Private Benjamin (1980) movie poster
    Private Benjamin (1980) Oct 10, 1980 · Comedy, War $69.8M worldwide
    Oct 10, 1980 US and Canada: $69.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $69.8M
  2. 2 The Big Red One (1980) movie poster
    The Big Red One (1980) Jul 18, 1980 · English · Action, Drama, War $7.2M worldwide
    Jul 18, 1980 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: $603 Worldwide: $7.2M
  3. 3 Kagemusha (1980) movie poster
    Kagemusha (1980) Oct 10, 1980 · Japanese · Drama, History, War $4M worldwide
    Oct 10, 1980 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: $18.5K Worldwide: $4M
  4. 4 The Sea Wolves (1980) movie poster
    The Sea Wolves (1980) Jul 3, 1980 · English · War, Thriller, Action $220.2K worldwide
    Jul 3, 1980 US and Canada: $220.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $220.2K
  5. 5 The Tin Drum (1980) movie poster
    The Tin Drum (1980) Apr 11, 1980 · German · Drama, War $7.5K worldwide
    Apr 11, 1980 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.5K
  6. 6 Breaker Morant (1980) movie poster
    Breaker Morant (1980) Oct 15, 1980 · English · Drama, History, War $948 worldwide
    Oct 15, 1980 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $948
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1980?

Of the top 6, Private Benjamin (1980) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Kagemusha (1980) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $81.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 6 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Private Benjamin (1980) $69.8M
    $69.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 The Big Red One (1980) $7.2M
    $7.2M US & Canada · 100% $603 elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 Kagemusha (1980) $4M
    $4M US & Canada · 100% $18.5K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Sea Wolves (1980) $220.2K
    $220.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 The Tin Drum (1980) $7.5K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Breaker Morant (1980) $948
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1980 Earned the Most?

October releases took the most, $73.9M from 3 films, led by Private Benjamin (1980). April was the quietest month ($7.5K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr The Tin Drum (1980) $7.5K The Tin Drum (1980)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul The Big Red One (1980) $7.4M The Big Red One (1980)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Private Benjamin (1980) $73.9M Private Benjamin (1980)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1980 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1979 earned the most: $228.1M from 9 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979). 1980 took $81.3M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1971 2 films 2 $9.4K – Liberation: The Last Assault (1971) $6.7K
1972 3 films · +121% 3 $20.8K +121% Chinese Glory (1972) $17.4K
1973 No films 0 – – –
1974 2 films 2 $32K – Hearts and Minds (1974) $28.8K
1975 4 films · +63760% 4 $20.4M +63760% Love and Death (1975) $20.1M
1976 No films 0 – – –
1977 3 films 3 $51.8M – A Bridge Too Far (1977) $50.8M
1978 4 films · +72% 4 $89M +72% The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M
1979 9 films · +156% 9 $228.1M +156% Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M
1980 6 films · −64% 6 $81.3M −64% Private Benjamin (1980) $69.8M
Archive

War Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1921 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2017 leads with $3.3B, led by Wolf Warrior 2 (2017).

2020s 7 years · $3.5B
2010s 10 years · $11.4B
2000s 10 years · $6.8B
1990s 10 years · $2.9B
1980s 10 years · $1.4B
1970s 8 years · $492.9M
1960s 9 years · $173.6M
1950s 8 years · $125.1M
1940s 7 years · $446.1M
1930s 5 years · $119.7K
1920s 3 years · $9.3M
FAQ

War Box Office 1980: 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 6 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing war movie in 1980?

Private Benjamin (1980) leads with $69.8M worldwide, $69.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Big Red One (1980) at $7.2M and Kagemusha (1980) at $4M.

How much did war movies released in 1980 earn?

6 war films released in 1980 report a worldwide gross, $81.3M in all, or $13.6M per film on average. 1979 releases took $228.1M.

How many war movies released in 1980 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Private Benjamin (1980), earned $69.8M.

How much of the 1980 War box office came from the US and Canada?

$81.3M of the $81.3M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 6 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1980 war 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 1980. 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 1980 war 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.