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Box office · May 1984

May 1984 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1984, with $333.1M worldwide, ahead of The Natural (1984) at $48M and Breakin' (1984) at $38.7M. 15 films released in May 1984 report a worldwide gross, $486.6M in all, 69% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 4.2 times the total of April 1984, whose releases took $114.9M. By genre, Action leads with $358.8M across 3 releases.

May 1984 releases with a gross
15
combined worldwide
$486.6M
film crossed $100M
1
vs April 1984
×4.2
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1984?

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) leads with $333.1M, 68% of the total. The top 5 together took $460.5M, 95% of what all 15 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) movie poster Number 1
    $333.1M Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
    $179.9M US & Canada · 54% $153.2M elsewhere · 46%
  2. The Natural (1984) movie poster Number 2
    $48M The Natural (1984)
    $48M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Breakin' (1984) movie poster Number 3
    $38.7M Breakin' (1984)
    $38.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Sixteen Candles (1984) movie poster Number 4
    $23.7M Sixteen Candles (1984)
    $23.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Firestarter (1984) movie poster Number 5
    $17.1M Firestarter (1984)
    $17.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of May 1984, 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 May 1984.

  1. 1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) movie poster
    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) May 23, 1984 · English · Action, Adventure $333.1M worldwide
    May 23, 1984 US and Canada: $179.9M Rest of the world: $153.2M Worldwide: $333.1M
  2. 2 The Natural (1984) movie poster
    The Natural (1984) May 11, 1984 · Drama, Sport $48M worldwide
    May 11, 1984 US and Canada: $48M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $48M
  3. 3 Breakin' (1984) movie poster
    Breakin' (1984) May 4, 1984 · English · Drama, Comedy $38.7M worldwide
    May 4, 1984 US and Canada: $38.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $38.7M
  4. 4 Sixteen Candles (1984) movie poster
    Sixteen Candles (1984) May 4, 1984 · English · Comedy, Romance $23.7M worldwide
    May 4, 1984 US and Canada: $23.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.7M
  5. 5 Firestarter (1984) movie poster
    Firestarter (1984) May 11, 1984 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $17.1M worldwide
    May 11, 1984 US and Canada: $17.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.1M
  6. 6 The Bounty (1984) movie poster
    The Bounty (1984) May 4, 1984 · English · Action, Adventure $8.6M worldwide
    May 4, 1984 US and Canada: $8.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.6M
  7. 7 Hardbodies (1984) movie poster
    Hardbodies (1984) May 4, 1984 · English · Comedy $7.1M worldwide
    May 4, 1984 US and Canada: $7.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.1M
  8. 8 Making the Grade (1984) movie poster
    Making the Grade (1984) May 18, 1984 · English · Comedy $4.6M worldwide
    May 18, 1984 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M
  9. 9 Choose Me (1984) movie poster
    Choose Me (1984) May 11, 1984 · English · Comedy, Romance $2.5M worldwide
    May 11, 1984 US and Canada: $2.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.5M
  10. 10 The Buddy System (1984) movie poster
    The Buddy System (1984) May 4, 1984 · English · Comedy, Romance $1.8M worldwide
    May 4, 1984 US and Canada: $1.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.8M
  11. 11 Finders Keepers (1984) movie poster
    Finders Keepers (1984) May 18, 1984 · English · Comedy $1.5M worldwide
    May 18, 1984 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M
  12. 12 Boy Meets Girl (1984) movie poster
    Boy Meets Girl (1984) May 22, 1984 · French · Drama, Romance $12.6K worldwide
    May 22, 1984 US and Canada: $12.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.6K
  13. 13 Cal (1984) movie poster
    Cal (1984) May 15, 1984 · English · Romance, Drama $7.3K worldwide
    May 15, 1984 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.3K
  14. 14 The Home and the World (1984) movie poster
    The Home and the World (1984) May 22, 1984 · Bengali · Drama $7K worldwide
    May 22, 1984 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7K
  15. 15 The Element of Crime (1984) movie poster
    The Element of Crime (1984) May 14, 1984 · English · Drama, Thriller $5.7K worldwide
    May 14, 1984 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.7K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in May 1984?

Of the top 10, The Natural (1984) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) made 46% of its gross abroad. Across all 15 films, $333.4M (69%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $333.1M
    $179.9M US & Canada · 54% $153.2M elsewhere · 46%
  2. 2 The Natural (1984) $48M
    $48M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Breakin' (1984) $38.7M
    $38.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Sixteen Candles (1984) $23.7M
    $23.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Firestarter (1984) $17.1M
    $17.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 The Bounty (1984) $8.6M
    $8.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Hardbodies (1984) $7.1M
    $7.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Making the Grade (1984) $4.6M
    $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Choose Me (1984) $2.5M
    $2.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 The Buddy System (1984) $1.8M
    $1.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many May 1984 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 15 films crossed $100M and took $333.1M between them, 68% of the total. 10 films, 67% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 1 film, 7% of the list $333.1M · 68% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 4 films, 27% of the list $127.4M · 26% of the gross
  • Under $10M 10 films, 67% of the list $26.1M · 5% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of May 1984 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 21 (May 20–26) took $333.1M, led by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 29–May 5 Breakin' (1984) $79.9M Breakin' (1984)
  2. Week 19 Wk 19 May 6–12 The Natural (1984) $67.5M The Natural (1984)
  3. Week 20 Wk 20 May 13–19 Making the Grade (1984) $6M Making the Grade (1984)
  4. Week 21 Wk 21 May 20–26 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $333.1M Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  5. Week 22 Wk 22 May 27–Jun 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does May 1984 Compare With May in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, May 1977 earned the most: $903M from 7 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). May 1984 took $486.6M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
May 1975 7 films 7 $68.5M – The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) $41.8M
May 1976 5 films · −92% 5 $5.4M −92% That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) $5M
May 1977 7 films · +16669% 7 $903M +16669% Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M
May 1978 9 films · −92% 9 $76M −92% The End (1978) $44.9M
May 1979 10 films · −66% 10 $26.1M −66% La Cage aux Folles (1979) $20.4M
May 1980 13 films · +2586% 13 $700.1M +2586% Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $550M
May 1981 10 films · −81% 10 $130.9M −81% The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M
May 1982 17 films · +111% 17 $275.9M +111% Rocky III (1982) $125.1M
May 1983 10 films · +115% 10 $593.6M +115% Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M
May 1984 15 films · −18% 15 $486.6M −18% Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $333.1M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1984?

Action took $358.8M across 3 films, 74% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($341.7M) and Drama ($99.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $438.6M across 12 films, 90% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($12.6K) and Bengali-language films ($7K).

May 1984 Box Office by Genre

  1. Action $358.8M
    3 films · #1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  2. Adventure $341.7M
    2 films · #1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  3. Drama $99.6M
    9 films · #1 The Natural (1984)
  4. Comedy $79.8M
    7 films · #1 Breakin' (1984)
  5. Romance $75.3M
    7 films · #1 Breakin' (1984)
  6. Sport $48M
    1 film · #1 The Natural (1984)
  7. Music $38.7M
    1 film · #1 Breakin' (1984)
  8. Thriller $17.1M
    3 films · #1 Firestarter (1984)
  9. Horror $17.1M
    1 film · #1 Firestarter (1984)
  10. Sci-Fi $17.1M
    1 film · #1 Firestarter (1984)

May 1984 Box Office by Language

  1. English $438.6M
    12 films · #1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
  2. French $12.6K
    1 film · #1 Boy Meets Girl (1984)
  3. Bengali $7K
    1 film · #1 The Home and the World (1984)
Archive

Box Office in 1984, Month by Month

The months of 1984 with their totals: June leads with $819.9M, led by Ghostbusters (1984).

FAQ

Box Office May 1984: 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 May 1984?

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) leads with $333.1M worldwide, $179.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Natural (1984) at $48M and Breakin' (1984) at $38.7M.

How much did movies released in May 1984 earn?

15 films released in May 1984 report a worldwide gross, $486.6M in all, or $32.4M per film on average. April 1984 releases took $114.9M.

How many movies released in May 1984 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) with $333.1M.

How much of the May 1984 box office came from the US and Canada?

$333.4M of the $486.6M total, or 69%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 15 report no domestic figure.

How is the May 1984 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 May 1984. 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 May 1984 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.