#1 of 30 #1 movie of August 1986
1986 · Sci-Fi, Thriller
$60.6M worldwide · 20% of the chart's total
$40.5M US & Canada · 67% $20.2M elsewhere · 33%
Box office · August 1986
August 1986 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing August Releases
The Fly (1986) is the highest-grossing movie released in August 1986, with $60.6M worldwide, ahead of Stand by Me (1986) at $53.5M and Howard the Duck (1986) at $38M. 30 films released in August 1986 report a worldwide gross, $303.4M in all, 84% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 7% on July 1986, whose releases took $326.7M. By genre, Sci-Fi leads with $123.6M across 6 releases.
- August 1986 releases with a gross
- 30
- combined worldwide
- $303.4M
- The Fly (1986), the #1
- $60.6M
- vs July 1986
- −7%
#1 of 30 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of August 1986?
The Fly (1986) leads with $60.6M, 20% of the total. The top 5 together took $190.2M, 63% of what all 30 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 August 1986, 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 August 1986.
- 1 Aug 15, 1986 US and Canada: $40.5M Rest of the world: $20.2M Worldwide: $60.6M
- 2 Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $52.3M Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $53.5M
- 3 Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $16.3M Rest of the world: $21.7M Worldwide: $38M
- 4 Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $19.5M Rest of the world: $743 Worldwide: $19.5M
Aug 1, 1986 · English · Thriller, Horror $19.5M worldwide - 5 Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $18.6M Rest of the world: $1.4K Worldwide: $18.6M
- 6
Aug 15, 1986 US and Canada: $15.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.9M - 7
Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M - 8
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M - 9
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $8.6M Rest of the world: $3.1K Worldwide: $8.6M - 10
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $8M Rest of the world: $1.8K Worldwide: $8M - 11
Aug 15, 1986 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.2M - 12
Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $7.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.1M - 13
Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M - 14
Aug 8, 1986 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: $12.9K Worldwide: $5.9M - 15
Aug 2, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5M - 16
Aug 27, 1986 US and Canada: $4.9M Rest of the world: $1.6K Worldwide: $4.9M - 17
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $3.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.4M - 18
Aug 30, 1986 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.3M - 19
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M - 20
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $2.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.5M - 21
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.3M - 22
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 23
Aug 13, 1986 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M - 24
Aug 22, 1986 US and Canada: $591.4K Rest of the world: $476 Worldwide: $591.8K - 25
Aug 1, 1986 US and Canada: $136.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $136.2K - 26
Aug 29, 1986 US and Canada: $43.8K Rest of the world: $21K Worldwide: $64.8K - 27
Aug 31, 1986 US and Canada: $25K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25K - 28
Aug 13, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3K - 29
Aug 23, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $143 - 30
Aug 23, 1986 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $143
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in August 1986?
Of the top 10, Armed and Dangerous (1986) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Howard the Duck (1986) made 57% of its gross abroad. Across all 30 films, $255.3M (84%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Fly (1986) $60.6M $40.5M US & Canada · 67% $20.2M elsewhere · 33%
- 2 Stand by Me (1986) $53.5M $52.3M US & Canada · 98% $1.2M elsewhere · 2%
- 3 Howard the Duck (1986) $38M $16.3M US & Canada · 43% $21.7M elsewhere · 57%
- 4 Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) $19.5M $19.5M US & Canada · 100% $743 elsewhere · <1%
- 5 Flight of the Navigator (1986) $18.6M $18.6M US & Canada · 100% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 Armed and Dangerous (1986) $15.9M $15.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 One Crazy Summer (1986) $13.4M $13.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Extremities (1986) $13.4M $13.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Manhunter (1986) $8.6M $8.6M US & Canada · 100% $3.1K elsewhere · <1%
- 10 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) $8M $8M US & Canada · 100% $1.8K elsewhere · <1%
Gross bands
How Many August 1986 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 30 films reached $100M. 22 films, 73% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $303.4M total.
77% 23%
- $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 8 films, 27% of the list $233M · 77% of the gross
- Under $10M 22 films, 73% of the list $70.5M · 23% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of August 1986 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 34 (Aug 17–23) took $88M, led by Stand by Me (1986). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 27–Aug 2 Howard the Duck (1986) $81.1M Howard the Duck (1986)
- Week 32 Wk 32 Aug 3–9 One Crazy Summer (1986) $32.5M One Crazy Summer (1986)
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 10–16 The Fly (1986) $84.9M The Fly (1986)
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 17–23 Stand by Me (1986) $88M Stand by Me (1986)
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 24–30 Jean de Florette (1986) $17M Jean de Florette (1986)
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 31–Sep 6 My Little Girl (1986) $25K My Little Girl (1986)
Earlier years
How Does August 1986 Compare With August in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, August 1986 earned the most: $303.4M from 30 films, led by The Fly (1986).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1977 7 films | 7 | $50.3M | – | The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) $46.9M |
| August 1978 5 films · −39% | 5 | $30.4M | −39% | Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) $20M |
| August 1979 13 films · +617% | 13 | $218.4M | +617% | Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M |
| August 1980 9 films · −32% | 9 | $147.7M | −32% | Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) $66.1M |
| August 1981 16 films · −1% | 16 | $146.6M | −1% | An American Werewolf in London (1981) $30.8M |
| August 1982 10 films · −6% | 10 | $138M | −6% | Friday the 13th Part III (1982) $36.7M |
| August 1983 16 films · +64% | 16 | $226.6M | +64% | Mr. Mom (1983) $64.8M |
| August 1984 18 films · −19% | 18 | $184.5M | −19% | Tightrope (1984) $48.1M |
| August 1985 19 films · +52% | 19 | $280.6M | +52% | Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) $41M |
| August 1986 30 films · +8% | 30 | $303.4M | +8% | The Fly (1986) $60.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in August 1986?
Sci-Fi took $123.6M across 6 films, 41% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($118.2M) and Thriller ($111M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $232.7M across 23 films, 77% of the total, ahead of Norwegian-language films ($7.2M) and French-language films ($5M).
August 1986 Box Office by Genre
-
Sci-Fi $123.6M6 films · #1 The Fly (1986) -
Adventure $118.2M5 films · #1 Stand by Me (1986) -
Thriller $111M7 films · #1 The Fly (1986) -
Drama $101M16 films · #1 Stand by Me (1986) -
Comedy $92.8M10 films · #1 Howard the Duck (1986) -
Horror $91.7M6 films · #1 The Fly (1986) -
Action $77.3M9 films · #1 Howard the Duck (1986) -
Romance $75.4M8 films · #1 Howard the Duck (1986) -
Crime $40.4M7 films · #1 Armed and Dangerous (1986) -
Family $24.4M2 films · #1 Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Archive
Box Office in 1986, Month by Month
The months of 1986 with their totals: June leads with $548.4M, led by The Karate Kid Part II (1986).
- January $161M #1 Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
- February $182.2M #1 Pretty in Pink (1986)
- March $196.1M #1 The Money Pit (1986)
- April $115.7M #1 A Room with a View (1986)
- May $522.4M #1 Top Gun (1986)
- June $548.4M #1 The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
- July $326.7M #1 Aliens (1986)
- August $303.4M #1 The Fly (1986)
- September $354.6M #1 Crocodile Dundee (1986)
- October $242.4M #1 The Color of Money (1986)
- November $298.1M #1 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
- December $398.6M #1 Platoon (1986)
FAQ
Box Office August 1986: 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 30 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in August 1986?
The Fly (1986) leads with $60.6M worldwide, $40.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Stand by Me (1986) at $53.5M and Howard the Duck (1986) at $38M.
How much did movies released in August 1986 earn?
30 films released in August 1986 report a worldwide gross, $303.4M in all, or $10.1M per film on average. July 1986 releases took $326.7M.
How many movies released in August 1986 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Fly (1986), earned $60.6M.
How is the August 1986 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 August 1986. 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 August 1986 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.