#1 of 6 #1 movie of January 1981
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
1981 · Sci-Fi, Family
$20.3M worldwide · 57% of the chart's total
$20.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · January 1981
January 1981 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing January Releases
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in January 1981, with $20.3M worldwide, ahead of Scanners (1981) at $14.2M and Night School (1981) at $1.2M. 6 films released in January 1981 report a worldwide gross, $35.7M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 93% on December 1980, whose releases took $494.4M. By genre, Sci-Fi leads with $34.5M across 2 releases.
- January 1981 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $35.7M
- The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), the #1
- $20.3M
- vs December 1980
- −93%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of January 1981?
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) leads with $20.3M, 57% of the total. The top 5 together took $35.7M, almost all of what the 6 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 Release of January 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 January 1981.
- 1 Jan 30, 1981 US and Canada: $20.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.3M
- 2 Jan 14, 1981 US and Canada: $14.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.2M
- 3 Jan 7, 1981 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
- 4 Jan 26, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.2K
- 5 Jan 14, 1981 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $264 Worldwide: $8.4K
- 6
Jan 15, 1981 US and Canada: $1.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.7K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in January 1981?
Of the top 6, The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Lili Marleen (1981) made 3% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $35.7M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 6 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) $20.3M $20.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Scanners (1981) $14.2M $14.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Night School (1981) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Thee (1981) $11.2K No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Lili Marleen (1981) $8.4K $8.1K US & Canada · 97% $264 elsewhere · 3%
- 6 The Boat Is Full (1981) $1.7K $1.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of January 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 5 (Jan 25–31) took $20.3M, led by The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 1 Wk 1 Jan 1–3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 2 Wk 2 Jan 4–10 Night School (1981) $1.2M Night School (1981)
- Week 3 Wk 3 Jan 11–17 Scanners (1981) $14.2M Scanners (1981)
- Week 4 Wk 4 Jan 18–24 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 5 Wk 5 Jan 25–31 The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) $20.3M The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
Earlier years
How Does January 1981 Compare With January in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, January 1973 earned the most: $36.2M from 2 films, led by Last Tango in Paris (1973). January 1981 took $35.7M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1972 8 films | 8 | $71K | – | Dushman (1972) $31.4K |
| January 1973 2 films · +50885% | 2 | $36.2M | +50885% | Last Tango in Paris (1973) $36.2M |
| January 1974 3 films · −100% | 3 | $21.9K | −100% | Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974) $13.5K |
| January 1975 4 films · +649% | 4 | $163.6K | +649% | Deewaar (1975) $65.3K |
| January 1976 1 film · −98% | 1 | $2.9K | −98% | Yalkae, a Joker in High School (1976) $2.9K |
| January 1977 1 film · +892298% | 1 | $25.9M | +892298% | Freaky Friday (1977) $25.9M |
| January 1978 2 films · −98% | 2 | $495.4K | −98% | Uncle Joe Shannon (1978) $494.8K |
| January 1979 1 film · −100% | 1 | $509 | −100% | Love on the Run (1979) $509 |
| January 1980 5 films · +855527% | 5 | $4.4M | +855527% | Windows (1980) $2.1M |
| January 1981 6 films · +719% | 6 | $35.7M | +719% | The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) $20.3M |
Archive
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 $96.1M #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 $341.4M #1 Arthur (1981)
- August $146.6M #1 An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- September $75M #1 Only When I Laugh (1981)
- October $96.6M #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- November $66.2M #1 Time Bandits (1981)
- December $379.7M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
FAQ
Box Office January 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in January 1981?
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) leads with $20.3M worldwide, $20.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Scanners (1981) at $14.2M and Night School (1981) at $1.2M.
How much did movies released in January 1981 earn?
6 films released in January 1981 report a worldwide gross, $35.7M in all, or $5.9M per film on average. December 1980 releases took $494.4M.
How many movies released in January 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), earned $20.3M.
How is the January 1981 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 January 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.
How often is the January 1981 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.