#1 of 5 #1 English-language movie of November 1981
1981 · Adventure, Sci-Fi
$42.4M worldwide · 64% of the chart's total
$42.4M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
English box office · November 1981
English Box Office, November 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Time Bandits (1981) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in November 1981, with $42.4M worldwide, ahead of Ragtime (1981) at $14.9M and Venom (1981) at $5.2M. 5 English-language films released in November 1981 report a worldwide gross, $66.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 19% on October 1981, whose releases took $81.3M. By genre, Adventure leads with $46.1M across 2 English releases.
- November 1981 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $66.2M
- Time Bandits (1981), the #1
- $42.4M
- vs October 1981
- −19%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest English Hits of November 1981?
Time Bandits (1981) leads with $42.4M, 64% of the total. The top 5 together took $66.2M, 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.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every English Release of November 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 November 1981.
- 1 Nov 6, 1981 US and Canada: $42.4M Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $42.4M
- 2 Nov 20, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.9M
- 3 Nov 28, 1981 US and Canada: $5.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.2M
- 4 Nov 13, 1981 US and Canada: $3.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.7M
- 5 Nov 19, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $306
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in November 1981?
Of the top 5, Ragtime (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Time Bandits (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $66.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Time Bandits (1981) $42.4M $42.4M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Ragtime (1981) $14.9M $14.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Venom (1981) $5.2M $5.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981) $3.7M $3.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Road Games (1981) $306 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of November 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 45 (Nov 1–7) took $42.4M, led by Time Bandits (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 45 Wk 45 Nov 1–7 Time Bandits (1981) $42.4M Time Bandits (1981)
- Week 46 Wk 46 Nov 8–14 The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981) $3.7M The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981)
- Week 47 Wk 47 Nov 15–21 Ragtime (1981) $14.9M Ragtime (1981)
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 22–28 Venom (1981) $5.2M Venom (1981)
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does November 1981 Compare With November in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, November 1977 earned the most: $417.2M from 6 films, led by Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). November 1981 took $66.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1972 1 film | 1 | $587.8K | – | Elvis on Tour (1972) $587.8K |
| November 1973 3 films · −77% | 3 | $135.6K | −77% | The Holy Mountain (1973) $117.2K |
| November 1974 3 films · −68% | 3 | $42.8K | −68% | A Woman Under the Influence (1974) $25.6K |
| November 1975 2 films · +254816% | 2 | $109.1M | +254816% | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) $109.1M |
| November 1976 4 films · −47% | 4 | $57.6M | −47% | Carrie (1976) $33.9M |
| November 1977 6 films · +625% | 6 | $417.2M | +625% | Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) $306.9M |
| November 1978 3 films · −93% | 3 | $30.5M | −93% | The Lord of the Rings (1978) $30.5M |
| November 1979 2 films · −73% | 2 | $8.3M | −73% | The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979) $8.3M |
| November 1980 5 films · +258% | 5 | $29.7M | +258% | Raging Bull (1980) $23.4M |
| November 1981 5 films · +123% | 5 | $66.2M | +123% | Time Bandits (1981) $42.4M |
Archive
English Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: June leads with $572.7M, led by Superman II (1981).
- January $35.7M #1 The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
- February $50M #1 Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
- March $89.6M #1 The Final Conflict (1981)
- April $137.4M #1 Excalibur (1981)
- May $130.9M #1 The Four Seasons (1981)
- June $572.7M #1 Superman II (1981)
- July $340.9M #1 Arthur (1981)
- August $119.4M #1 An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- September $75M #1 Only When I Laugh (1981)
- October $81.3M #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- November $66.2M #1 Time Bandits (1981)
- December $379.6M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
FAQ
English Box Office November 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in November 1981?
Time Bandits (1981) leads with $42.4M worldwide, $42.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Ragtime (1981) at $14.9M and Venom (1981) at $5.2M.
How much did English-language movies released in November 1981 earn?
5 English-language films released in November 1981 report a worldwide gross, $66.2M in all, or $13.2M per film on average. October 1981 releases took $81.3M.
How many English-language movies released in November 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Time Bandits (1981), earned $42.4M.
How is the November 1981 English 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 November 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, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.
How often is the November 1981 English 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.