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War box office · 1988

War Box Office 1988: Highest-Grossing War Movies

Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) is the highest-grossing war movie released in 1988, with $123.9M worldwide, ahead of Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) at $6.2M and 1969 (1988) at $6M. 9 war films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $151.6M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 64% on 1987, whose releases took $92.3M. By language, English leads with $147M across 8 war releases.

1988 releases with a gross
9
combined worldwide
$151.6M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1987
+64%
Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) movie poster #1 of 9
#1 war movie of 1988

Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)

1988 · Biography, Drama

$123.9M worldwide · 82% of the chart's total

$123.9M US & Canada · 100% $936 elsewhere · <1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest War Hits of 1988?

Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) leads with $123.9M, 82% of the total. The top 5 together took $144.9M, 96% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) movie poster Number 1
    $123.9M Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
    $123.9M US & Canada · 100% $936 elsewhere · <1%
  2. Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) movie poster Number 2
    $6.2M Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)
    $6.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 1969 (1988) movie poster Number 3
    $6M 1969 (1988)
    $6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) movie poster Number 4
    $4.6M Au Revoir les Enfants (1988)
    $4.5M US & Canada · 99% $32.8K elsewhere · <1%
  5. Red Scorpion (1988) movie poster Number 5
    $4.2M Red Scorpion (1988)
    $4.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every War Release of 1988, 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 1988.

  1. 1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) movie poster
    Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) Jan 15, 1988 · English · Biography, Drama, Comedy $123.9M worldwide
    Jan 15, 1988 US and Canada: $123.9M Rest of the world: $936 Worldwide: $123.9M
  2. 2 Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) movie poster
    Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) Jan 22, 1988 · English · Action, War $6.2M worldwide
    Jan 22, 1988 US and Canada: $6.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.2M
  3. 3 1969 (1988) movie poster
    1969 (1988) Aug 18, 1988 · English · War, Drama, Romance $6M worldwide
    Aug 18, 1988 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M
  4. 4 Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) movie poster
    Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) Feb 12, 1988 · French · Drama, War $4.6M worldwide
    Feb 12, 1988 US and Canada: $4.5M Rest of the world: $32.8K Worldwide: $4.6M
  5. 5 Red Scorpion (1988) movie poster
    Red Scorpion (1988) Oct 25, 1988 · English · Adventure, War, Action $4.2M worldwide
    Oct 25, 1988 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.2M
  6. 6 Bat*21 (1988) movie poster
    Bat*21 (1988) Oct 21, 1988 · English · Drama, War $4M worldwide
    Oct 21, 1988 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4M
  7. 7 Platoon Leader (1988) movie poster
    Platoon Leader (1988) Oct 1, 1988 · English · Drama, War, Action $1.3M worldwide
    Oct 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
  8. 8 A Time of Destiny (1988) movie poster
    A Time of Destiny (1988) Apr 22, 1988 · English · Drama, War $1.2M worldwide
    Apr 22, 1988 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
  9. 9 The Beast of War (1988) movie poster
    The Beast of War (1988) Sep 14, 1988 · English · Drama, War $161K worldwide
    Sep 14, 1988 US and Canada: $161K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $161K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1988?

Of the top 9, Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $151.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) $123.9M
    $123.9M US & Canada · 100% $936 elsewhere · <1%
  2. 2 Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) $6.2M
    $6.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 1969 (1988) $6M
    $6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) $4.6M
    $4.5M US & Canada · 99% $32.8K elsewhere · <1%
  5. 5 Red Scorpion (1988) $4.2M
    $4.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Bat*21 (1988) $4M
    $4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Platoon Leader (1988) $1.3M
    $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 A Time of Destiny (1988) $1.2M
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 The Beast of War (1988) $161K
    $161K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month

Which Month of 1988 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $130.1M from 2 films, led by Good Morning, Vietnam (1988). September was the quietest month ($161K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) $130.1M Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
  2. February Feb Au Revoir les Enfants (1988) $4.6M Au Revoir les Enfants (1988)
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr A Time of Destiny (1988) $1.2M A Time of Destiny (1988)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug 1969 (1988) $6M 1969 (1988)
  9. September Sep The Beast of War (1988) $161K The Beast of War (1988)
  10. October Oct Red Scorpion (1988) $9.5M Red Scorpion (1988)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1988 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1985 earned the most: $351.1M from 7 films, led by Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). 1988 took $151.6M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1979 9 films 9 $228.1M – 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
1982 4 films · −62% 4 $49.8M −62% Some Kind of Hero (1982) $23.7M
1983 8 films · +64% 8 $81.7M +64% Uncommon Valor (1983) $30.5M
1984 7 films · −1% 7 $80.6M −1% Missing in Action (1984) $22.8M
1985 7 films · +335% 7 $351.1M +335% Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) $300.4M
1986 8 films · −35% 8 $226.5M −35% Platoon (1986) $138.5M
1987 6 films · −59% 6 $92.3M −59% Full Metal Jacket (1987) $50.2M
1988 9 films · +64% 9 $151.6M +64% Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) $123.9M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest War Movies Speak in 1988?

English-language war films took $147M across 8 films, 97% of the total, ahead of French-language war films ($4.6M).

1988 War Box Office by Language

  1. English $147M
    8 films · #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
  2. French $4.6M
    1 film · #1 Au Revoir les Enfants (1988)
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 1988: 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 9 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing war movie in 1988?

Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) leads with $123.9M worldwide, $123.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) at $6.2M and 1969 (1988) at $6M.

How much did war movies released in 1988 earn?

9 war films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $151.6M in all, or $16.8M per film on average. 1987 releases took $92.3M.

How many war movies released in 1988 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) with $123.9M.

How much of the 1988 War box office came from the US and Canada?

$151.5M of the $151.6M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 9 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1988 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 1988. 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 1988 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.