#1 of 8 #1 war movie of 1981
1981 · Comedy, War
$85.3M worldwide · 65% of the chart's total
$85.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
War box office · 1981
War Box Office 1981: Highest-Grossing War Movies
Stripes (1981) is the highest-grossing war movie released in 1981, with $85.3M worldwide, ahead of Eye of the Needle (1981) at $17.6M and Victory (1981) at $10.9M. 8 war films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $131M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 61% on 1980, whose releases took $81.3M. By language, English leads with $124.7M across 5 war releases.
- 1981 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $131M
- Stripes (1981), the #1
- $85.3M
- vs 1980
- +61%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest War Hits of 1981?
Stripes (1981) leads with $85.3M, 65% of the total. The top 5 together took $125.8M, 96% of what all 8 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 War Release of 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 1981.
- 1 Jun 26, 1981 US and Canada: $85.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $85.3M
- 2 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $17.6M Rest of the world: $52 Worldwide: $17.6M
- 3 Jul 31, 1981 US and Canada: $10.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.9M
- 4 Mar 4, 1981 US and Canada: $6.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.3M
- 5 Aug 28, 1981 US and Canada: $5.7M Rest of the world: $6K Worldwide: $5.7M
- 6
May 4, 1981 US and Canada: $5.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.2M - 7
Jan 14, 1981 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $264 Worldwide: $8.4K - 8
Jan 15, 1981 US and Canada: $1.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.7K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1981?
Of the top 8, Stripes (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Lili Marleen (1981) made 3% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $131M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Stripes (1981) $85.3M $85.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Eye of the Needle (1981) $17.6M $17.6M US & Canada · 100% $52 elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Victory (1981) $10.9M $10.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Boy Soldier (1981) $6.3M $6.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Gallipoli (1981) $5.7M $5.7M US & Canada · 100% $6K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 Inchon (1981) $5.2M $5.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Lili Marleen (1981) $8.4K $8.1K US & Canada · 97% $264 elsewhere · 3%
- 8 The Boat Is Full (1981) $1.7K $1.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month
Which Month of 1981 Earned the Most?
June releases took the most, $85.3M from 1 film, led by Stripes (1981). January was the quietest month ($10.1K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Lili Marleen (1981) $10.1K Lili Marleen (1981)
- February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- March Mar The Boy Soldier (1981) $6.3M The Boy Soldier (1981)
- April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- May May Inchon (1981) $5.2M Inchon (1981)
- June Jun Stripes (1981) $85.3M Stripes (1981)
- July Jul Eye of the Needle (1981) $28.4M Eye of the Needle (1981)
- August Aug Gallipoli (1981) $5.7M Gallipoli (1981)
- September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years
How Does 1981 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1979 earned the most: $228.1M from 9 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979). 1981 took $131M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 3 films | 3 | $20.8K | – | 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 |
| 1981 8 films · +61% | 8 | $131M | +61% | Stripes (1981) $85.3M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest War Movies Speak in 1981?
English-language war films took $124.7M across 5 films, 95% of the total, ahead of French-language war films ($6.3M) and German-language war films ($10.1K).
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
- 2026 so far $119.7M #1 Young Washington (2026)
- 2025 $872.4M #1 Dead to Rights (2025)
- 2024 $75.6M #1 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
- 2023 $793.9M #1 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
- 2022 $161.4M #1 Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022)
- 2021 $1B #1 The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)
- 2020 $479M #1 The Eight Hundred (2020)
2010s 10 years · $11.4B
- 2019 $1B #1 1917 (2019)
- 2018 $755.1M #1 Operation Red Sea (2018)
- 2017 $3.3B #1 Wolf Warrior 2 (2017)
- 2016 $1.6B #1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- 2015 $920.3M #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
- 2014 $1.9B #1 American Sniper (2014)
- 2013 $412.3M #1 Lone Survivor (2013)
- 2012 $760.8M #1 Battleship (2012)
- 2011 $313.2M #1 War Horse (2011)
- 2010 $309.1M #1 Dear John (2010)
2000s 10 years · $6.8B
- 2009 $651.8M #1 Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- 2008 $1B #1 Australia (2008)
- 2007 $945M #1 300 (2007)
- 2006 $358.6M #1 Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
- 2005 $446.9M #1 Jarhead (2005)
- 2004 $680.7M #1 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
- 2003 $889.6M #1 The Last Samurai (2003)
- 2002 $463.2M #1 The Pianist (2002)
- 2001 $893.6M #1 Pearl Harbor (2001)
- 2000 $433.4M #1 The Patriot (2000)
1990s 10 years · $2.9B
- 1999 $451.1M #1 The General's Daughter (1999)
- 1998 $713.1M #1 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- 1997 $139.5M #1 Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
- 1996 $345M #1 The English Patient (1996)
- 1995 $469.1M #1 Braveheart (1995)
- 1994 $20M #1 The War (1994)
- 1993 $494.5M #1 Schindler's List (1993)
- 1992 $122.6M #1 The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
- 1991 $48.4M #1 For the Boys (1991)
- 1990 $54.6M #1 Memphis Belle (1990)
1980s 10 years · $1.4B
- 1989 $199.1M #1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
- 1988 $151.6M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- 1987 $92.3M #1 Full Metal Jacket (1987)
- 1986 $226.5M #1 Platoon (1986)
- 1985 $351.1M #1 Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
- 1984 $80.6M #1 Missing in Action (1984)
- 1983 $81.7M #1 Uncommon Valor (1983)
- 1982 $49.8M #1 Some Kind of Hero (1982)
- 1981 $131M #1 Stripes (1981)
- 1980 $81.3M #1 Private Benjamin (1980)
1970s 8 years · $492.9M
- 1979 $228.1M #1 Apocalypse Now (1979)
- 1978 $89M #1 The Deer Hunter (1978)
- 1977 $51.8M #1 A Bridge Too Far (1977)
- 1975 $20.4M #1 Love and Death (1975)
- 1974 $32K #1 Hearts and Minds (1974)
- 1972 $20.8K #1 Chinese Glory (1972)
- 1971 $9.4K #1 Liberation: The Last Assault (1971)
- 1970 $103.6M #1 Patton (1970)
1960s 9 years · $173.6M
- 1969 $8M #1 Where Eagles Dare (1969)
- 1968 $3.6M #1 Hell in the Pacific (1968)
- 1967 $8.1K #1 Far from Vietnam (1967)
- 1966 $1M #1 The Battle of Algiers (1966)
- 1965 $112.7M #1 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- 1963 $230.6K #1 The Great Escape (1963)
- 1962 $46M #1 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- 1961 $32.8K #1 The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- 1960 $1.9M #1 Spartacus (1960)
1950s 8 years · $125.1M
- 1959 $74.4M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $561.3K #1 South Pacific (1958)
- 1957 $27.3M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $75.5K #1 The Burmese Harp (1956)
- 1955 $789.5K #1 The Dam Busters (1955)
- 1954 $21.8M #1 The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- 1953 $36.4K #1 From Here to Eternity (1953)
- 1952 $101.2K #1 The African Queen (1952)
1940s 7 years · $446.1M
1930s 5 years · $119.7K
FAQ
War Box Office 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 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing war movie in 1981?
Stripes (1981) leads with $85.3M worldwide, $85.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Eye of the Needle (1981) at $17.6M and Victory (1981) at $10.9M.
How much did war movies released in 1981 earn?
8 war films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $131M in all, or $16.4M per film on average. 1980 releases took $81.3M.
How many war movies released in 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Stripes (1981), earned $85.3M.
How is the 1981 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 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 1981 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.