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War box office · 1989

War Box Office 1989: Highest-Grossing War Movies

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) is the highest-grossing war movie released in 1989, with $161M worldwide, ahead of Casualties of War (1989) at $18.7M and Henry V (1989) at $10.2M. 9 war films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $199.1M in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 31% on 1988, whose releases took $151.6M. By language, English leads with $198.3M across 7 war releases.

1989 releases with a gross
9
combined worldwide
$199.1M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1988
+31%
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) movie poster #1 of 9
#1 war movie of 1989

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

1989 · Biography, Drama

$161M worldwide · 81% of the chart's total

$70M US & Canada · 43% $91M elsewhere · 57%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest War Hits of 1989?

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) leads with $161M, 81% of the total. The top 5 together took $195.8M, 98% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Born on the Fourth of July (1989) movie poster Number 1
    $161M Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
    $70M US & Canada · 43% $91M elsewhere · 57%
  2. Casualties of War (1989) movie poster Number 2
    $18.7M Casualties of War (1989)
    $18.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Henry V (1989) movie poster Number 3
    $10.2M Henry V (1989)
    $10.2M US & Canada · 100% $112 elsewhere · <1%
  4. Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) movie poster Number 4
    $3.6M Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    $3.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Farewell to the King (1989) movie poster Number 5
    $2.4M Farewell to the King (1989)
    $2.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every War Release of 1989, 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 1989.

  1. 1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989) movie poster
    Born on the Fourth of July (1989) Dec 20, 1989 · English · Biography, Drama, War $161M worldwide
    Dec 20, 1989 US and Canada: $70M Rest of the world: $91M Worldwide: $161M
  2. 2 Casualties of War (1989) movie poster
    Casualties of War (1989) Aug 18, 1989 · English · Drama, Crime, War $18.7M worldwide
    Aug 18, 1989 US and Canada: $18.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.7M
  3. 3 Henry V (1989) movie poster
    Henry V (1989) Nov 8, 1989 · English · Action, Drama, History $10.2M worldwide
    Nov 8, 1989 US and Canada: $10.2M Rest of the world: $112 Worldwide: $10.2M
  4. 4 Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) movie poster
    Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) Oct 20, 1989 · English · Biography, Drama, History $3.6M worldwide
    Oct 20, 1989 US and Canada: $3.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.6M
  5. 5 Farewell to the King (1989) movie poster
    Farewell to the King (1989) Mar 3, 1989 · English · Adventure, War $2.4M worldwide
    Mar 3, 1989 US and Canada: $2.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.4M
  6. 6 Jacknife (1989) movie poster
    Jacknife (1989) Mar 10, 1989 · English · Drama, War $2M worldwide
    Mar 10, 1989 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M
  7. 7 Grave of the Fireflies (1988) movie poster
    Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Jul 26, 1989 · Japanese · Animation, Drama, War $841.6K worldwide
    Jul 26, 1989 US and Canada: $517K Rest of the world: $324.7K Worldwide: $841.6K
  8. 8 Triumph of the Spirit (1989) movie poster
    Triumph of the Spirit (1989) Dec 8, 1989 · English · War, Drama $408.8K worldwide
    Dec 8, 1989 US and Canada: $408.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $408.8K
  9. 9 Life and Nothing But (1989) movie poster
    Life and Nothing But (1989) Sep 6, 1989 · French · War, Drama $1.6K worldwide
    Sep 6, 1989 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.6K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1989?

Of the top 9, Casualties of War (1989) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Born on the Fourth of July (1989) made 57% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $107.8M (54%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 9 reports no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989) $161M
    $70M US & Canada · 43% $91M elsewhere · 57%
  2. 2 Casualties of War (1989) $18.7M
    $18.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Henry V (1989) $10.2M
    $10.2M US & Canada · 100% $112 elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) $3.6M
    $3.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Farewell to the King (1989) $2.4M
    $2.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Jacknife (1989) $2M
    $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Grave of the Fireflies (1988) $841.6K
    $517K US & Canada · 61% $324.7K elsewhere · 39%
  8. 8 Triumph of the Spirit (1989) $408.8K
    $408.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Life and Nothing But (1989) $1.6K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1989 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $161.4M from 2 films, led by Born on the Fourth of July (1989). September was the quietest month ($1.6K). 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 Farewell to the King (1989) $4.5M Farewell to the King (1989)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul Grave of the Fireflies (1988) $841.6K Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
  8. August Aug Casualties of War (1989) $18.7M Casualties of War (1989)
  9. September Sep Life and Nothing But (1989) $1.6K Life and Nothing But (1989)
  10. October Oct Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) $3.6M Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
  11. November Nov Henry V (1989) $10.2M Henry V (1989)
  12. December Dec Born on the Fourth of July (1989) $161.4M Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Last 10 years

How Does 1989 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). 1989 took $199.1M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1980 6 films 6 $81.3M – 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
1989 9 films · +31% 9 $199.1M +31% Born on the Fourth of July (1989) $161M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest War Movies Speak in 1989?

English-language war films took $198.3M across 7 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language war films ($841.6K) and French-language war films ($1.6K).

1989 War Box Office by Language

  1. English $198.3M
    7 films · #1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
  2. Japanese $841.6K
    1 film · #1 Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
  3. French $1.6K
    1 film · #1 Life and Nothing But (1989)
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 1989: 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 1989?

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) leads with $161M worldwide, $70M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Casualties of War (1989) at $18.7M and Henry V (1989) at $10.2M.

How much did war movies released in 1989 earn?

9 war films released in 1989 report a worldwide gross, $199.1M in all, or $22.1M per film on average. 1988 releases took $151.6M.

How many war movies released in 1989 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) with $161M.

How much of the 1989 War box office came from the US and Canada?

$107.8M of the $199.1M total, or 54%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 9 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1989 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 1989. 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 1989 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.