#1 of 3 #1 western movie of 1988
1988 · Action, Thriller
$45.7M worldwide · 91% of the chart's total
$45.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Western box office · 1988
Western Box Office 1988: Highest-Grossing Western Movies
Young Guns (1988) is the highest-grossing western movie released in 1988, with $45.7M worldwide, ahead of Sunset (1988) at $4.6M and Ghost Town (1988) at $75K. 3 western films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $50.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- 1988 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $50.3M
- Young Guns (1988), the #1
- $45.7M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Western Hits of 1988?
Young Guns (1988) leads with $45.7M, 91% of the total. The top 3 together took $50.3M, 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 Western 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 Aug 12, 1988 US and Canada: $45.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $45.7M
- 2 Apr 29, 1988 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M
- 3 May 26, 1988 US and Canada: $75K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $75K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1988?
Of the top 3, Young Guns (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Ghost Town (1988) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $50.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Young Guns (1988) $45.7M $45.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Sunset (1988) $4.6M $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Ghost Town (1988) $75K $75K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month
Which Month of 1988 Earned the Most?
August releases took the most, $45.7M from 1 film, led by Young Guns (1988). May was the quietest month ($75K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- April Apr Sunset (1988) $4.6M Sunset (1988)
- May May Ghost Town (1988) $75K Ghost Town (1988)
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- August Aug Young Guns (1988) $45.7M Young Guns (1988)
- 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 1988 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1979 earned the most: $97.2M from 4 films, led by The Electric Horseman (1979). 1988 took $50.3M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 4 films | 4 | $97.2M | – | The Electric Horseman (1979) $61.8M |
| 1980 4 films · −7% | 4 | $90.5M | −7% | Urban Cowboy (1980) $46.9M |
| 1981 3 films · −66% | 3 | $30.5M | −66% | Outland (1981) $17.4M |
| 1982 5 films · −59% | 5 | $12.5M | −59% | The Grey Fox (1982) $5.5M |
| 1983 1 film · −2% | 1 | $12.2M | −2% | Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) $12.2M |
| 1984 1 film · −94% | 1 | $727.6K | −94% | Lust in the Dust (1984) $727.6K |
| 1985 4 films · +10853% | 4 | $79.7M | +10853% | Pale Rider (1985) $41.4M |
| 1986 1 film · −51% | 1 | $39.2M | −51% | Three Amigos! (1986) $39.2M |
| 1987 2 films · −71% | 2 | $11.5M | −71% | Extreme Prejudice (1987) $11.3M |
| 1988 3 films · +337% | 3 | $50.3M | +337% | Young Guns (1988) $45.7M |
Archive
Western Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1923 to 2025 with its total and its biggest film. 1990 leads with $735.6M, led by Dances with Wolves (1990).
2020s 6 years · $813.9M
2010s 10 years · $2.6B
- 2019 $95.6M #1 Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
- 2018 $19.3M #1 The Sisters Brothers (2018)
- 2017 $161.7M #1 The Dark Tower (2017)
- 2016 $166.6M #1 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
- 2015 $698.6M #1 The Revenant (2015)
- 2014 $93.7M #1 A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
- 2013 $274.7M #1 The Lone Ranger (2013)
- 2012 $481.9M #1 Django Unchained (2012)
- 2011 $186.3M #1 Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
- 2010 $446.4M #1 True Grit (2010)
2000s 10 years · $1.6B
- 2009 $19.7M #1 Lucky Luke (2009)
- 2008 $74.7M #1 The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
- 2007 $268M #1 No Country for Old Men (2007)
- 2006 $24.8M #1 Bandidas (2006)
- 2005 $334.5M #1 Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- 2004 $272.7M #1 Home on the Range (2004)
- 2003 $293.8M #1 Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
- 2002 $122.6M #1 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
- 2001 $90.1M #1 Manitou’s Shoe (2001)
- 2000 $118.3M #1 Shanghai Noon (2000)
1990s 9 years · $2.2B
- 1999 $226M #1 Wild Wild West (1999)
- 1998 $453.9M #1 The Mask of Zorro (1998)
- 1996 $13.5M #1 Lone Star (1996)
- 1995 $188.5M #1 Legends of the Fall (1995)
- 1994 $310.2M #1 Maverick (1994)
- 1993 $93.5M #1 Tombstone (1993)
- 1992 $164.6M #1 Unforgiven (1992)
- 1991 $51.8M #1 An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
- 1990 $735.6M #1 Dances with Wolves (1990)
1980s 10 years · $327.3M
- 1989 $15.5K #1 Blood Red (1989)
- 1988 $50.3M #1 Young Guns (1988)
- 1987 $11.5M #1 Extreme Prejudice (1987)
- 1986 $39.2M #1 Three Amigos! (1986)
- 1985 $79.7M #1 Pale Rider (1985)
- 1984 $727.6K #1 Lust in the Dust (1984)
- 1983 $12.2M #1 Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)
- 1982 $12.5M #1 The Grey Fox (1982)
- 1981 $30.5M #1 Outland (1981)
- 1980 $90.5M #1 Urban Cowboy (1980)
1970s 9 years · $370.7M
- 1979 $97.2M #1 The Electric Horseman (1979)
- 1978 $17M #1 Comes a Horseman (1978)
- 1976 $39.9M #1 The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
- 1975 $36.9M #1 The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
- 1974 $119.6M #1 Blazing Saddles (1974)
- 1973 $15.7M #1 High Plains Drifter (1973)
- 1972 $6.3M #1 Joe Kidd (1972)
- 1971 $1.1M #1 The Beguiled (1971)
- 1970 $36.8M #1 Little Big Man (1970)
1960s 10 years · $159.1M
- 1969 $117.7M #1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- 1968 $3.5M #1 Coogan’s Bluff (1968)
- 1967 $31.3M #1 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967)
- 1966 $47.6K #1 Django (1966)
- 1965 $20.8K #1 Major Dundee (1965)
- 1964 $18.8K #1 Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
- 1963 $76.7K #1 How the West Was Won (1963)
- 1962 $2.2K #1 Farewell to the Duman River (1962)
- 1961 $6.4M #1 The Taste of Violence (1961)
- 1960 $9.8K #1 The Alamo (1960)
1950s 9 years · $33.1M
1940s 3 years · $29.8M
1930s 1 year · $3.4K
1920s 2 years · $389
FAQ
Western 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing western movie in 1988?
Young Guns (1988) leads with $45.7M worldwide, $45.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Sunset (1988) at $4.6M and Ghost Town (1988) at $75K.
How much did western movies released in 1988 earn?
3 western films released in 1988 report a worldwide gross, $50.3M in all, or $16.8M per film on average.
How many western movies released in 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Young Guns (1988), earned $45.7M.
How is the 1988 western 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 western 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.