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English box office · May 1987

English Box Office, May 1987: Top-Grossing Releases

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in May 1987, with $300M worldwide, ahead of Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) at $23.5M and Ishtar (1987) at $14.4M. 19 English-language films released in May 1987 report a worldwide gross, $389.2M in all, 62% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 151% on April 1987, whose releases took $154.8M. By genre, Comedy leads with $354.1M across 9 English releases.

May 1987 releases with a gross
19
combined worldwide
$389.2M
film crossed $100M
1
vs April 1987
+151%
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) movie poster #1 of 19
#1 English-language movie of May 1987

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

1987 · Action, Thriller

$300M worldwide · 77% of the chart's total

$153.7M US & Canada · 51% $146.3M elsewhere · 49%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest English Hits of May 1987?

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) leads with $300M, 77% of the total. The top 5 together took $358.2M, 92% of what all 19 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) movie poster Number 1
    $300M Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
    $153.7M US & Canada · 51% $146.3M elsewhere · 49%
  2. Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) movie poster Number 2
    $23.5M Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
    $23.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Ishtar (1987) movie poster Number 3
    $14.4M Ishtar (1987)
    $14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. The Gate (1987) movie poster Number 4
    $13.5M The Gate (1987)
    $13.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) movie poster Number 5
    $6.8M The Chipmunk Adventure (1987)
    $6.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every English Release of May 1987, 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 May 1987.

  1. 1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) movie poster
    Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) May 20, 1987 · Action, Thriller $300M worldwide
    May 20, 1987 US and Canada: $153.7M Rest of the world: $146.3M Worldwide: $300M
  2. 2 Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) movie poster
    Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) May 22, 1987 · Comedy, Family $23.5M worldwide
    May 22, 1987 US and Canada: $23.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.5M
  3. 3 Ishtar (1987) movie poster
    Ishtar (1987) May 15, 1987 · Adventure, Comedy $14.4M worldwide
    May 15, 1987 US and Canada: $14.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.4M
  4. 4 The Gate (1987) movie poster
    The Gate (1987) May 15, 1987 · Fantasy, Horror $13.5M worldwide
    May 15, 1987 US and Canada: $13.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.5M
  5. 5 The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) movie poster
    The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) May 9, 1987 · Comedy, Music $6.8M worldwide
    May 9, 1987 US and Canada: $6.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.8M
  6. 6 Gardens of Stone (1987) movie poster
    Gardens of Stone (1987) May 5, 1987 · Drama, War $5.3M worldwide
    May 5, 1987 US and Canada: $5.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.3M
  7. 7 River's Edge (1987) movie poster
    River's Edge (1987) May 8, 1987 · Drama, Crime $4.6M worldwide
    May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M
  8. 8 Hot Pursuit (1987) movie poster
    Hot Pursuit (1987) May 8, 1987 · Comedy $4.2M worldwide
    May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.2M
  9. 9 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) movie poster
    American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) May 1, 1987 · Action, Drama $4M worldwide
    May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4M
  10. 10 Malone (1987) movie poster
    Malone (1987) May 1, 1987 · Action, Thriller $3.1M worldwide
    May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $3.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.1M
  11. 11 The Allnighter (1987) movie poster
    The Allnighter (1987) May 1, 1987 · Romance, Comedy $2.7M worldwide
    May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $2.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.7M
  12. 12 Prick Up Your Ears (1987) movie poster
    Prick Up Your Ears (1987) May 8, 1987 · Biography, Drama $1.7M worldwide
    May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: $18.2K Worldwide: $1.7M
  13. 13 I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) movie poster
    I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) May 1, 1987 · Comedy, Drama $1.4M worldwide
    May 1, 1987 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M
  14. 14 Steele Justice (1987) movie poster
    Steele Justice (1987) May 8, 1987 · Action, Crime $1.3M worldwide
    May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
  15. 15 The Good Wife (1987) movie poster
    The Good Wife (1987) May 14, 1987 · Drama, Romance $1.2M worldwide
    May 14, 1987 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
  16. 16 Aria (1987) movie poster
    Aria (1987) May 19, 1987 · Music, Drama $1M worldwide
    May 19, 1987 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1M
  17. 17 Summer Heat (1987) movie poster
    Summer Heat (1987) May 29, 1987 · Romance, Drama $350.5K worldwide
    May 29, 1987 US and Canada: $350.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $350.5K
  18. 18 Gor (1987) movie poster
    Gor (1987) May 8, 1987 · Action, Sci-Fi $159.7K worldwide
    May 8, 1987 US and Canada: $159.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $159.7K
  19. 19 King Lear (1987) movie poster
    King Lear (1987) May 17, 1987 · Drama, Comedy $85K worldwide
    May 17, 1987 US and Canada: $61.8K Rest of the world: $23.2K Worldwide: $85K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in May 1987?

Of the top 10, Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) made 49% of its gross abroad. Across all 19 films, $242.9M (62%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $300M
    $153.7M US & Canada · 51% $146.3M elsewhere · 49%
  2. 2 Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) $23.5M
    $23.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Ishtar (1987) $14.4M
    $14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 The Gate (1987) $13.5M
    $13.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) $6.8M
    $6.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Gardens of Stone (1987) $5.3M
    $5.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 River's Edge (1987) $4.6M
    $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Hot Pursuit (1987) $4.2M
    $4.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) $4M
    $4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Malone (1987) $3.1M
    $3.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many May 1987 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 19 films crossed $100M and took $300M between them, 77% of the total. 15 films, 79% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 1 film, 5% of the list $300M · 77% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 3 films, 16% of the list $51.4M · 13% of the gross
  • Under $10M 15 films, 79% of the list $37.8M · 10% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of May 1987 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 21 (May 17–23) took $324.6M, led by Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) $11.2M American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
  2. Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) $24M The Chipmunk Adventure (1987)
  3. Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 Ishtar (1987) $29.1M Ishtar (1987)
  4. Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $324.6M Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  5. Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 Summer Heat (1987) $350.5K Summer Heat (1987)
  6. Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does May 1987 Compare With May in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, May 1980 earned the most: $700M from 11 films, led by Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). May 1987 took $389.2M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
May 1978 7 films 7 $31.1M – The Greek Tycoon (1978) $14.7M
May 1979 6 films · −83% 6 $5.2M −83% Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M
May 1980 11 films · +13411% 11 $700M +13411% Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $550M
May 1981 9 films · −81% 9 $130.9M −81% The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M
May 1982 13 films · +104% 13 $266.6M +104% Rocky III (1982) $125.1M
May 1983 6 films · +109% 6 $557.8M +109% Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M
May 1984 12 films · −21% 12 $438.6M −21% Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $333.1M
May 1985 18 films · +20% 18 $526.2M +20% Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) $300.4M
May 1986 9 films · −18% 9 $432.3M −18% Top Gun (1986) $357.3M
May 1987 19 films · −10% 19 $389.2M −10% Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $300M
By genre

Which English Genres Earned the Most in May 1987?

Comedy took $354.1M across 9 films, 91% of the total, ahead of Action ($308.5M) and Crime ($305.9M). A film counts once for each of its genres.

May 1987 English Box Office by Genre

  1. Comedy $354.1M
    9 films · #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  2. Action $308.5M
    5 films · #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  3. Crime $305.9M
    3 films · #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  4. Thriller $303M
    2 films · #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
  5. Family $30.3M
    2 films · #1 Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
  6. Adventure $21.3M
    3 films · #1 Ishtar (1987)
  7. Drama $19.6M
    9 films · #1 Gardens of Stone (1987)
  8. Musical $14.4M
    1 film · #1 Ishtar (1987)
  9. Fantasy $13.7M
    2 films · #1 The Gate (1987)
  10. Horror $13.5M
    1 film · #1 The Gate (1987)
Archive

English Box Office in 1987, Month by Month

The months of 1987 with their totals: August leads with $472.5M, led by Dirty Dancing (1987).

FAQ

English Box Office May 1987: 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 19 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in May 1987?

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) leads with $300M worldwide, $153.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) at $23.5M and Ishtar (1987) at $14.4M.

How much did English-language movies released in May 1987 earn?

19 English-language films released in May 1987 report a worldwide gross, $389.2M in all, or $20.5M per film on average. April 1987 releases took $154.8M.

How many English-language movies released in May 1987 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) with $300M.

How much of the May 1987 English box office came from the US and Canada?

$242.9M of the $389.2M total, or 62%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 19 report no domestic figure.

How is the May 1987 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 May 1987. 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 May 1987 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.