#1 of 14 #1 movie of March 1981
1981 · Horror
$20.5M worldwide · 21% of the chart's total
$20.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · March 1981
March 1981 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing March Releases
The Final Conflict (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in March 1981, with $20.5M worldwide, ahead of The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) at $16M and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) at $12.4M. 14 films released in March 1981 report a worldwide gross, $96.1M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 92% on February 1981, whose releases took $50M. By genre, Drama leads with $35.5M across 9 releases.
- March 1981 releases with a gross
- 14
- combined worldwide
- $96.1M
- The Final Conflict (1981), the #1
- $20.5M
- vs February 1981
- +92%
#1 of 14 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of March 1981?
The Final Conflict (1981) leads with $20.5M, 21% of the total. The top 5 together took $72.2M, 75% of what all 14 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 March 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 March 1981.
- 1 Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $20.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.5M
- 2 Mar 6, 1981 US and Canada: $16M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16M
- 3 Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $12.4M Rest of the world: $6.8K Worldwide: $12.4M
- 4 Mar 13, 1981 US and Canada: $11.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.8M
- 5 Mar 27, 1981 US and Canada: $11.5M Rest of the world: $2.6K Worldwide: $11.5M
- 6
Mar 13, 1981 US and Canada: $7.9M Rest of the world: $142 Worldwide: $7.9M - 7
Mar 4, 1981 US and Canada: $6.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.3M - 8
Mar 6, 1981 US and Canada: $4.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.5M - 9
Mar 13, 1981 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: $582 Worldwide: $2.9M - 10
Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: $23.4K Worldwide: $1.8M - 11
Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $469.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $469.8K - 12
Mar 11, 1981 US and Canada: $183.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $183.4K - 13
Mar 6, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $31.2K - 14
Mar 4, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $923
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in March 1981?
Of the top 10, The Final Conflict (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Cutter's Way (1981) made 1% of its gross abroad. Across all 14 films, $96.1M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Final Conflict (1981) $20.5M $20.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) $16M $16M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) $12.4M $12.4M US & Canada · 100% $6.8K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Back Roads (1981) $11.8M $11.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Thief (1981) $11.5M $11.5M US & Canada · 100% $2.6K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 The Funhouse (1981) $7.9M $7.9M US & Canada · 100% $142 elsewhere · <1%
- 7 The Boy Soldier (1981) $6.3M $6.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 All Night Long (1981) $4.5M $4.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Modern Romance (1981) $2.9M $2.9M US & Canada · 100% $582 elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Cutter's Way (1981) $1.8M $1.7M US & Canada · 99% $23.4K elsewhere · 1%
Gross bands
How Many March 1981 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 14 films reached $100M. 9 films, 64% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $96.1M total.
75% 25%
- $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 5 films, 36% of the list $72.2M · 75% of the gross
- Under $10M 9 films, 64% of the list $24M · 25% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of March 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 12 (Mar 15–21) took $35.1M, led by The Final Conflict (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 10 Wk 10 Mar 1–7 The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) $26.8M The Devil and Max Devlin (1981)
- Week 11 Wk 11 Mar 8–14 Back Roads (1981) $22.7M Back Roads (1981)
- Week 12 Wk 12 Mar 15–21 The Final Conflict (1981) $35.1M The Final Conflict (1981)
- Week 13 Wk 13 Mar 22–28 Thief (1981) $11.5M Thief (1981)
- Week 14 Wk 14 Mar 29–Apr 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does March 1981 Compare With March in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, March 1972 earned the most: $251.4M from 10 films, led by The Godfather (1972). March 1981 took $96.1M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1972 10 films | 10 | $251.4M | – | The Godfather (1972) $250.3M |
| March 1973 4 films · −100% | 4 | $343.2K | −100% | Sisters (1973) $318.3K |
| March 1974 4 films · +5898% | 4 | $20.6M | +5898% | The Great Gatsby (1974) $20.6M |
| March 1975 6 films · +408% | 6 | $104.5M | +408% | Shampoo (1975) $49.4M |
| March 1976 3 films · −100% | 3 | $52.9K | −100% | Small Change (1976) $38.8K |
| March 1977 5 films · +42478% | 5 | $22.5M | +42478% | Black Sunday (1977) $15.8M |
| March 1978 9 films · +209% | 9 | $69.5M | +209% | House Calls (1978) $28.5M |
| March 1979 9 films · +92% | 9 | $133.6M | +92% | The China Syndrome (1979) $51.7M |
| March 1980 13 films · −1% | 13 | $132M | −1% | Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) $67.2M |
| March 1981 14 films · −27% | 14 | $96.1M | −27% | The Final Conflict (1981) $20.5M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in March 1981?
Drama took $35.5M across 9 films, 37% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($35.2M) and Romance ($31.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $89.6M across 11 films, 93% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($6.5M).
March 1981 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $35.5M9 films · #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) -
Comedy $35.2M6 films · #1 The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) -
Romance $31.5M5 films · #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) -
Horror $28.4M2 films · #1 The Final Conflict (1981) -
Crime $25.8M4 films · #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) -
Thriller $25.8M4 films · #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) -
Fantasy $16M1 film · #1 The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) -
Adventure $12.3M2 films · #1 Back Roads (1981) -
Action $11.7M2 films · #1 Thief (1981) -
War $6.3M1 film · #1 The Boy Soldier (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 March 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 14 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in March 1981?
The Final Conflict (1981) leads with $20.5M worldwide, $20.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) at $16M and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) at $12.4M.
How much did movies released in March 1981 earn?
14 films released in March 1981 report a worldwide gross, $96.1M in all, or $6.9M per film on average. February 1981 releases took $50M.
How many movies released in March 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Final Conflict (1981), earned $20.5M.
How is the March 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 March 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 March 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.