#1 of 13 #1 English-language movie of April 1981
1981 · Adventure, Drama
$35M worldwide · 25% of the chart's total
$35M US & Canada · 100% $3.7K elsewhere · <1%
English box office · April 1981
English Box Office, April 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Excalibur (1981) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in April 1981, with $35M worldwide, ahead of Nighthawks (1981) at $19.9M and The Howling (1981) at $18M. 13 English-language films released in April 1981 report a worldwide gross, $137.4M in all, 96% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 53% on March 1981, whose releases took $89.6M. By genre, Romance leads with $81.8M across 5 English releases.
- April 1981 releases with a gross
- 13
- combined worldwide
- $137.4M
- Excalibur (1981), the #1
- $35M
- vs March 1981
- +53%
#1 of 13 Top 5
What Were the Biggest English Hits of April 1981?
Excalibur (1981) leads with $35M, 25% of the total. The top 5 together took $106.4M, 77% of what all 13 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 April 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 April 1981.
- 1 Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $35M Rest of the world: $3.7K Worldwide: $35M
- 2 Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: $5M Worldwide: $19.9M
- 3 Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $18M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18M
- 4 Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: $17.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.6M
- 5 Apr 17, 1981 US and Canada: $16M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16M
- 6
Apr 3, 1981 US and Canada: $12.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.7M - 7
Apr 2, 1981 US and Canada: $7.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.3M - 8
Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $5.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.5M - 9
Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: $2.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.4M - 10
Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M - 11
Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: $534.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $534.8K - 12
Apr 1, 1981 US and Canada: $534.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $534.7K - 13
Apr 24, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $91
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in April 1981?
Of the top 10, The Howling (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Nighthawks (1981) made 25% of its gross abroad. Across all 13 films, $132.4M (96%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Excalibur (1981) $35M $35M US & Canada · 100% $3.7K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Nighthawks (1981) $19.9M $14.9M US & Canada · 75% $5M elsewhere · 25%
- 3 The Howling (1981) $18M $18M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Take This Job and Shove It (1981) $17.6M $17.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Caveman (1981) $16M $16M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Atlantic City (1981) $12.7M $12.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Buddy Buddy (1981) $7.3M $7.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Going Ape! (1981) $5.5M $5.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Hand (1981) $2.4M $2.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 This Is Elvis (1981) $2M $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many April 1981 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 13 films reached $100M. 7 films, 54% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $137.4M total.
87% 13%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 6 films, 46% of the list $119.1M · 87% of the gross
- Under $10M 7 films, 54% of the list $18.3M · 13% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of April 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 15 (Apr 5–11) took $80.4M, led by Excalibur (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 14 Wk 14 Mar 29–Apr 4 Atlantic City (1981) $20.5M Atlantic City (1981)
- Week 15 Wk 15 Apr 5–11 Excalibur (1981) $80.4M Excalibur (1981)
- Week 16 Wk 16 Apr 12–18 Caveman (1981) $16M Caveman (1981)
- Week 17 Wk 17 Apr 19–25 Take This Job and Shove It (1981) $20.6M Take This Job and Shove It (1981)
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does April 1981 Compare With April in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, April 1981 earned the most: $137.4M from 13 films, led by Excalibur (1981).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1972 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| April 1973 3 films | 3 | $21.5K | – | Ganja & Hess (1973) $21.2K |
| April 1974 5 films · +57539% | 5 | $12.4M | +57539% | The Sugarland Express (1974) $7.5M |
| April 1975 1 film · −76% | 1 | $2.9M | −76% | Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) $2.9M |
| April 1976 4 films · +3691% | 4 | $111.1M | +3691% | All the President's Men (1976) $70.6M |
| April 1977 2 films · −66% | 2 | $38.3M | −66% | Annie Hall (1977) $38.3M |
| April 1978 5 films · +26% | 5 | $48.2M | +26% | F.I.S.T. (1978) $20.4M |
| April 1979 3 films · +54% | 3 | $74.4M | +54% | Love at First Bite (1979) $43.9M |
| April 1980 4 films · −73% | 4 | $20.4M | −73% | The Last Married Couple in America (1980) $12.8M |
| April 1981 13 films · +572% | 13 | $137.4M | +572% | Excalibur (1981) $35M |
By genre
Which English Genres Earned the Most in April 1981?
Romance took $81.8M across 5 films, 59% of the total, ahead of Drama ($50.7M) and Comedy ($46.3M). A film counts once for each of its genres.
April 1981 English Box Office by Genre
-
Romance $81.8M5 films · #1 Excalibur (1981) -
Drama $50.7M5 films · #1 Excalibur (1981) -
Comedy $46.3M4 films · #1 Take This Job and Shove It (1981) -
Crime $45.4M5 films · #1 Nighthawks (1981) -
Adventure $35M1 film · #1 Excalibur (1981) -
Fantasy $35M1 film · #1 Excalibur (1981) -
Thriller $22.4M3 films · #1 Nighthawks (1981) -
Horror $20.4M2 films · #1 The Howling (1981) -
Action $19.9M1 film · #1 Nighthawks (1981) -
Family $5.5M1 film · #1 Going Ape! (1981)
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 April 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 13 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in April 1981?
Excalibur (1981) leads with $35M worldwide, $35M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Nighthawks (1981) at $19.9M and The Howling (1981) at $18M.
How much did English-language movies released in April 1981 earn?
13 English-language films released in April 1981 report a worldwide gross, $137.4M in all, or $10.6M per film on average. March 1981 releases took $89.6M.
How many English-language movies released in April 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Excalibur (1981), earned $35M.
How is the April 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 April 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 April 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.