#1 of 4 #1 movie of Week 40, 1981
1981 · Comedy, Romance
$18.8M worldwide · 85% of the chart's total
$18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · Week 40 · Sep 27–Oct 3, 1981
Box Office Week 40, 1981: Highest-Grossing Releases of Sep 27–Oct 3
Paternity (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3), with $18.8M worldwide, ahead of Zoot Suit (1981) at $3.3M and The Woman Next Door (1981) at $509. 4 films released that week report a worldwide gross, $22.1M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 62% on Week 39, 1981, whose releases took $57.4M.
- week 40 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $22.1M
- Paternity (1981), the #1
- $18.8M
- vs Week 39, 1981
- −62%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Hits of Week 40 of 1981?
Paternity (1981) leads with $18.8M, 85% of the total. The top 4 together took $22.1M, almost all of what the 4 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of Week 40 of 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 week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3).
- 1 Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M
- 2 Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.3M
- 3 Sep 30, 1981 US and Canada: $509 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $509
- 4 Oct 1, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $297
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in Week 40 of 1981?
Of the top 4, Paternity (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Woman Next Door (1981) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $22.1M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 4 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Paternity (1981) $18.8M $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Zoot Suit (1981) $3.3M $3.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Woman Next Door (1981) $509 $509 US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Killing of Angel Street (1981) $297 No US & Canada figure reported
Weeks around it
How Does Week 40 Compare With the Weeks Around It?
Week 40 releases took $22.1M. The biggest of these 9 weeks is week 39 (Sep 20–26) with $57.4M, led by Only When I Laugh (1981).
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 16–22 An American Werewolf in London (1981) $53.4M An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 23–29 Private Lessons (1981) $57M Private Lessons (1981)
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 30–Sep 5 The Killing of America (1981) $533 The Killing of America (1981)
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 6–12 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 13–19 Continental Divide (1981) $17.6M Continental Divide (1981)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 20–26 Only When I Laugh (1981) $57.4M Only When I Laugh (1981)
- 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)
Earlier years
How Does Week 40 of 1981 Compare With Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, Week 40, 1979 earned the most: $111.8M from 4 films, led by 10 (1979). Week 40, 1981 took $22.1M.
| Week | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 40, 1972 Sep 24–30 1 film | 1 | $263 | – | Sambizanga (1972) $263 |
| Week 40, 1973 Sep 30–Oct 6 1 film · +17902% | 1 | $47.3K | +17902% | The Mother and the Whore (1973) $47.3K |
| Week 40, 1974 Sep 29–Oct 5 2 films · +65486% | 2 | $31.1M | +65486% | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) $30.9M |
| Week 40, 1975 Sep 28–Oct 4 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 40, 1976 Sep 26–Oct 2 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 40, 1977 Sep 25–Oct 1 3 films | 3 | $9.3M | – | Bobby Deerfield (1977) $9.3M |
| Week 40, 1978 Oct 1–7 4 films · +497% | 4 | $55.5M | +497% | Midnight Express (1978) $35M |
| Week 40, 1979 Sep 30–Oct 6 4 films · +101% | 4 | $111.8M | +101% | 10 (1979) $74.9M |
| Week 40, 1980 Sep 28–Oct 4 7 films · −70% | 7 | $33.7M | −70% | Oh, God! Book II (1980) $14.5M |
| Week 40, 1981 Sep 27–Oct 3 4 films · −34% | 4 | $22.1M | −34% | Paternity (1981) $18.8M |
Archive
Box Office in 1981, Week by Week
47 weeks of 1981 with reported grosses; the biggest is week 25 (Jun 14–20) with $288.6M, led by Superman II (1981).
- Week 1 No grosses
- Week 2 $1.2M
- Week 3 $14.2M
- Week 4 No grosses
- Week 5 $20.3M
- Week 6 $29.2M
- Week 7 $20.8M
- Week 8 No grosses
- Week 9 No grosses
- Week 10 $26.8M
- Week 11 $22.7M
- Week 12 $35.1M
- Week 13 $11.5M
- Week 14 $20.5M
- Week 15 $80.4M
- Week 16 $16M
- Week 17 $20.6M
- Week 18 $23.5M
- Week 19 $5.2M
- Week 20 $3.1M
- Week 21 $99.1M
- Week 22 $5.1K
- Week 23 $14.9M
- Week 24 $83.8M
- Week 25 $288.6M
- Week 26 $185.5M
- Week 27 $14.9M
- Week 28 $88.7M
- Week 29 $128M
- Week 30 $80.1M
- Week 31 $29.7M
- Week 32 $27.9M
- Week 33 $8.3M
- Week 34 $53.4M
- Week 35 $57M
- Week 36 $533
- Week 37 No grosses
- Week 38 $17.6M
- Week 39 $57.4M
- Week 40 $22.1M
- Week 41 $20.3M
- Week 42 $26.9M
- Week 43 $1.6M
- Week 44 $25.7M
- Week 45 $42.4M
- Week 46 $3.7M
- Week 47 $14.9M
- Week 48 $5.2M
- Week 49 $127.5M
- Week 50 $18M
- Week 51 $131.8M
- Week 52 $102.4M
- Week 53 No grosses
FAQ
Box Office Week 40 of 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 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3)?
Paternity (1981) leads with $18.8M worldwide, $18.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Zoot Suit (1981) at $3.3M and The Woman Next Door (1981) at $509.
How much did movies released in week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3) earn?
4 films released in week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3) report a worldwide gross, $22.1M in all, or $5.5M per film on average. Week 39, 1981 releases took $57.4M.
How many movies released in week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3) made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Paternity (1981), earned $18.8M.
How is the week 40, 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 week 40 of 1981 (Sep 27–Oct 3). 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 week 40, 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.