#1 of 4 #1 movie of Week 52, 1981
1981 · Biography, Drama
$40.4M worldwide · 39% of the chart's total
$40.4M US & Canada · 100% $129 elsewhere · <1%
Box office · Week 52 · Dec 20–26, 1981
Box Office Week 52, 1981: Highest-Grossing Releases of Dec 20–26
Reds (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in week 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26), with $40.4M worldwide, ahead of Taps (1981) at $35.9M and Modern Problems (1981) at $26.2M. 4 films released that week report a worldwide gross, $102.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 22% on Week 51, 1981, whose releases took $131.8M.
- week 52 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $102.4M
- Reds (1981), the #1
- $40.4M
- vs Week 51, 1981
- −22%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Hits of Week 52 of 1981?
Reds (1981) leads with $40.4M, 39% of the total. The top 4 together took $102.4M, 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 52 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 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26).
- 1 Dec 25, 1981 US and Canada: $40.4M Rest of the world: $129 Worldwide: $40.4M
- 2 Dec 25, 1981 US and Canada: $35.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.9M
- 3 Dec 25, 1981 US and Canada: $26.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.2M
- 4 Dec 25, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $407
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in Week 52 of 1981?
Of the top 4, Taps (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Reds (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $102.4M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 4 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Reds (1981) $40.4M $40.4M US & Canada · 100% $129 elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Taps (1981) $35.9M $35.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Modern Problems (1981) $26.2M $26.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Angel Guts: Red Porno (1981) $407 No US & Canada figure reported
Weeks around it
How Does Week 52 Compare With the Weeks Around It?
Week 52 releases took $102.4M. The biggest of these 9 weeks is week 51 (Dec 13–19) with $131.8M, led by Absence of Malice (1981).
- Week 46 Wk 46 Nov 8–14 The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981) $3.7M The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981)
- Week 47 Wk 47 Nov 15–21 Ragtime (1981) $14.9M Ragtime (1981)
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 22–28 Venom (1981) $5.2M Venom (1981)
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 On Golden Pond (1981) $127.5M On Golden Pond (1981)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Rollover (1981) $18M Rollover (1981)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Absence of Malice (1981) $131.8M Absence of Malice (1981)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 Reds (1981) $102.4M Reds (1981)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 1, 1982 Wk 1 Jan 1–2 Pennies from Heaven (1982) $9.2M Pennies from Heaven (1982)
Earlier years
How Does Week 52 of 1981 Compare With Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, Week 52, 1973 earned the most: $626.6M from 3 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). Week 52, 1981 took $102.4M.
| Week | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 52, 1972 Dec 17–23 3 films | 3 | $144.7K | – | The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) $84.8K |
| Week 52, 1973 Dec 23–29 3 films · +433013% | 3 | $626.6M | +433013% | The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M |
| Week 52, 1974 Dec 22–28 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 52, 1975 Dec 21–27 4 films | 4 | $86.1M | – | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) $50M |
| Week 52, 1976 Dec 19–25 1 film · −46% | 1 | $46.2M | −46% | The Enforcer (1976) $46.2M |
| Week 52, 1977 Dec 18–24 1 film · −43% | 1 | $26.4M | −43% | The Gauntlet (1977) $26.4M |
| Week 52, 1978 Dec 24–30 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 52, 1979 Dec 23–29 1 film | 1 | $26.9M | – | Going in Style (1979) $26.9M |
| Week 52, 1980 Dec 21–27 3 films · +30% | 3 | $35.1M | +30% | Altered States (1980) $19.9M |
| Week 52, 1981 Dec 20–26 4 films · +192% | 4 | $102.4M | +192% | Reds (1981) $40.4M |
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 52 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 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26)?
Reds (1981) leads with $40.4M worldwide, $40.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Taps (1981) at $35.9M and Modern Problems (1981) at $26.2M.
How much did movies released in week 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26) earn?
4 films released in week 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26) report a worldwide gross, $102.4M in all, or $25.6M per film on average. Week 51, 1981 releases took $131.8M.
How many movies released in week 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26) made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Reds (1981), earned $40.4M.
How is the week 52, 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 52 of 1981 (Dec 20–26). 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 52, 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.