#1 of 15 #1 movie of October 1981
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
1981 · Drama, Romance
$26.9M worldwide · 28% of the chart's total
$26.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · October 1981
October 1981 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing October Releases
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in October 1981, with $26.9M worldwide, ahead of Halloween II (1981) at $25.5M and Paternity (1981) at $18.8M. 15 films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $96.6M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 29% on September 1981, whose releases took $75M. By genre, Drama leads with $47.1M across 9 releases.
- October 1981 releases with a gross
- 15
- combined worldwide
- $96.6M
- The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), the #1
- $26.9M
- vs September 1981
- +29%
#1 of 15 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of October 1981?
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) leads with $26.9M, 28% of the total. The top 5 together took $90.8M, 94% of what all 15 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 October 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 October 1981.
- 1 Oct 16, 1981 US and Canada: $26.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.9M
- 2 Oct 30, 1981 US and Canada: $25.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.5M
- 3 Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M
- 4 Oct 9, 1981 US and Canada: $14.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.5M
- 5 Oct 9, 1981 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
- 6
Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.3M - 7
Oct 23, 1981 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M - 8
Oct 10, 1981 US and Canada: $777.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $777.1K - 9
Oct 30, 1981 US and Canada: $110K Rest of the world: $401 Worldwide: $110.4K - 10
Oct 7, 1981 US and Canada: $17.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.1K - 11
Oct 25, 1981 US and Canada: $12K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12K - 12
Oct 11, 1981 US and Canada: $5.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.1K - 13
Oct 31, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $645 - 14
Oct 23, 1981 US and Canada: $560 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $560 - 15
Oct 1, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $297
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1981?
Of the top 10, The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Roar (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 15 films, $96.6M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) $26.9M $26.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Halloween II (1981) $25.5M $25.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Paternity (1981) $18.8M $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Rich and Famous (1981) $14.5M $14.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Watcher in the Woods (1981) $5M $5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Zoot Suit (1981) $3.3M $3.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Silence of the North (1981) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Lonely Heart (1981) $777.1K $777.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Roar (1981) $110.4K $110K US & Canada · 100% $401 elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Le Pont du Nord (1981) $17.1K $17.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many October 1981 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 15 films reached $100M. 11 films, 73% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $96.6M total.
89% 11%
- $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 4 films, 27% of the list $85.8M · 89% of the gross
- Under $10M 11 films, 73% of the list $10.8M · 11% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of October 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 42 (Oct 11–17) took $26.9M, led by The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 27–Oct 3 Paternity (1981) $22.1M Paternity (1981)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 4–10 Rich and Famous (1981) $20.3M Rich and Famous (1981)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 11–17 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) $26.9M The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 18–24 Silence of the North (1981) $1.6M Silence of the North (1981)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 25–31 Halloween II (1981) $25.7M Halloween II (1981)
Earlier years
How Does October 1981 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1979 earned the most: $223.4M from 11 films, led by 10 (1979). October 1981 took $96.6M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1972 2 films | 2 | $20.6K | – | Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K |
| October 1973 6 films · +219087% | 6 | $45.2M | +219087% | The Way We Were (1973) $45M |
| October 1974 7 films · +56% | 7 | $70.7M | +56% | Benji (1974) $39.6M |
| October 1975 1 film · −100% | 1 | $293.1K | −100% | The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) $293.1K |
| October 1976 3 films · +7312% | 3 | $21.7M | +7312% | Marathon Man (1976) $21.7M |
| October 1977 9 films · +324% | 9 | $92.2M | +324% | Oh, God! (1977) $41.7M |
| October 1978 8 films · +45% | 8 | $133.4M | +45% | Halloween (1978) $47.2M |
| October 1979 11 films · +68% | 11 | $223.4M | +68% | 10 (1979) $74.9M |
| October 1980 15 films · −36% | 15 | $143.4M | −36% | Private Benjamin (1980) $69.8M |
| October 1981 15 films · −33% | 15 | $96.6M | −33% | The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) $26.9M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in October 1981?
Drama took $47.1M across 9 films, 49% of the total, ahead of Romance ($45.7M) and Horror ($30.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $81.3M across 11 films, 84% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language films ($777.1K) and French-language films ($29.2K).
October 1981 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $47.1M9 films · #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) -
Romance $45.7M3 films · #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) -
Horror $30.6M5 films · #1 Halloween II (1981) -
Thriller $30.6M5 films · #1 Halloween II (1981) -
Comedy $19M6 films · #1 Paternity (1981) -
Mystery $5M4 films · #1 The Watcher in the Woods (1981) -
Family $5M1 film · #1 The Watcher in the Woods (1981) -
Music $3.3M1 film · #1 Zoot Suit (1981) -
Adventure $1.7M2 films · #1 Silence of the North (1981) -
Crime $777.1K1 film · #1 Lonely Heart (1981)
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 October 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 15 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in October 1981?
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) leads with $26.9M worldwide, $26.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Halloween II (1981) at $25.5M and Paternity (1981) at $18.8M.
How much did movies released in October 1981 earn?
15 films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $96.6M in all, or $6.4M per film on average. September 1981 releases took $75M.
How many movies released in October 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), earned $26.9M.
How is the October 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 October 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 October 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.