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Western box office · 1990

Western Box Office 1990: Highest-Grossing Western Movies

Dances with Wolves (1990) is the highest-grossing western movie released in 1990, with $424.2M worldwide, ahead of Back to the Future Part III (1990) at $245.1M and Young Guns II (1990) at $44.1M. 5 western films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $735.6M in all, 46% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. By language, English leads with $735.6M across 5 western releases.

1990 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$735.6M
films crossed $100M
2
earned in the US & Canada
46%
Dances with Wolves (1990) movie poster #1 of 5
#1 western movie of 1990

Dances with Wolves (1990)

1990 · Adventure, Drama

$424.2M worldwide · 58% of the chart's total

$184.2M US & Canada · 43% $240M elsewhere · 57%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Western Hits of 1990?

Dances with Wolves (1990) leads with $424.2M, 58% of the total. The top 5 together took $735.6M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Dances with Wolves (1990) movie poster Number 1
    $424.2M Dances with Wolves (1990)
    $184.2M US & Canada · 43% $240M elsewhere · 57%
  2. Back to the Future Part III (1990) movie poster Number 2
    $245.1M Back to the Future Part III (1990)
    $88.3M US & Canada · 36% $156.8M elsewhere · 64%
  3. Young Guns II (1990) movie poster Number 3
    $44.1M Young Guns II (1990)
    $44.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Quigley Down Under (1990) movie poster Number 4
    $21.4M Quigley Down Under (1990)
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) movie poster Number 5
    $717.8K Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990)
    $717.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Western Release of 1990, 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 1990.

  1. 1 Dances with Wolves (1990) movie poster
    Dances with Wolves (1990) Nov 9, 1990 · English · Adventure, Drama, Western $424.2M worldwide
    Nov 9, 1990 US and Canada: $184.2M Rest of the world: $240M Worldwide: $424.2M
  2. 2 Back to the Future Part III (1990) movie poster
    Back to the Future Part III (1990) May 25, 1990 · English · Adventure, Sci-Fi, Comedy $245.1M worldwide
    May 25, 1990 US and Canada: $88.3M Rest of the world: $156.8M Worldwide: $245.1M
  3. 3 Young Guns II (1990) movie poster
    Young Guns II (1990) Aug 1, 1990 · English · Action, Western $44.1M worldwide
    Aug 1, 1990 US and Canada: $44.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $44.1M
  4. 4 Quigley Down Under (1990) movie poster
    Quigley Down Under (1990) Oct 19, 1990 · English · Action, Adventure, Drama $21.4M worldwide
    Oct 19, 1990 US and Canada: $21.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.4M
  5. 5 Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) movie poster
    Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) Apr 30, 1990 · English · Romance, Western, Drama $717.8K worldwide
    Apr 30, 1990 US and Canada: $717.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $717.8K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1990?

Of the top 5, Young Guns II (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Back to the Future Part III (1990) made 64% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $338.8M (46%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Dances with Wolves (1990) $424.2M
    $184.2M US & Canada · 43% $240M elsewhere · 57%
  2. 2 Back to the Future Part III (1990) $245.1M
    $88.3M US & Canada · 36% $156.8M elsewhere · 64%
  3. 3 Young Guns II (1990) $44.1M
    $44.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Quigley Down Under (1990) $21.4M
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) $717.8K
    $717.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Last 10 years

How Does 1990 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1990 earned the most: $735.6M from 5 films, led by Dances with Wolves (1990).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1981 3 films 3 $30.5M – 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
1989 1 film · −100% 1 $15.5K −100% Blood Red (1989) $15.5K
1990 5 films · +4742393% 5 $735.6M +4742393% Dances with Wolves (1990) $424.2M
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
2000s 10 years · $1.6B
1990s 9 years · $2.2B
1980s 10 years · $327.3M
1970s 9 years · $370.7M
1960s 10 years · $159.1M
1950s 9 years · $33.1M
1940s 3 years · $29.8M
1930s 1 year · $3.4K
1920s 2 years · $389
FAQ

Western Box Office 1990: 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing western movie in 1990?

Dances with Wolves (1990) leads with $424.2M worldwide, $184.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Back to the Future Part III (1990) at $245.1M and Young Guns II (1990) at $44.1M.

How much did western movies released in 1990 earn?

5 western films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $735.6M in all, or $147.1M per film on average.

How many western movies released in 1990 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Dances with Wolves (1990) with $424.2M.

How much of the 1990 Western box office came from the US and Canada?

$338.8M of the $735.6M total, or 46%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1990 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 1990. 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 1990 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.