#1 of 31 #1 movie of September 1987
1987 · Drama, Thriller
$320.1M worldwide · 73% of the chart's total
$156.6M US & Canada · 49% $163.5M elsewhere · 51%
Box office · September 1987
September 1987 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing September Releases
Fatal Attraction (1987) is the highest-grossing movie released in September 1987, with $320.1M worldwide, ahead of The Princess Bride (1987) at $31M and The Principal (1987) at $19.7M. 31 films released in September 1987 report a worldwide gross, $440.5M in all, 63% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 9% on August 1987, whose releases took $484.2M. By genre, Drama leads with $374.9M across 19 releases.
- September 1987 releases with a gross
- 31
- combined worldwide
- $440.5M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs August 1987
- −9%
#1 of 31 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of September 1987?
Fatal Attraction (1987) leads with $320.1M, 73% of the total. The top 5 together took $398.7M, 91% of what all 31 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 September 1987, 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 September 1987.
- 1 Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $156.6M Rest of the world: $163.5M Worldwide: $320.1M
- 2 Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $30.9M Rest of the world: $125K Worldwide: $31M
- 3 Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $19.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19.7M
- 4 Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $14.6M Rest of the world: $15.5K Worldwide: $14.6M
- 5 Sep 6, 1987 US and Canada: $13.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.3M
- 6
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $13.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.3M - 7
Sep 3, 1987 US and Canada: $4.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.4M - 8
Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $4.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3M - 9
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $2.5M Rest of the world: $159.1K Worldwide: $2.6M - 10
Sep 11, 1987 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M - 11
Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.7M - 12
Sep 11, 1987 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 13
Sep 4, 1987 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 14
Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 15
Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 16
Sep 16, 1987 US and Canada: $999.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $999.4K - 17
Sep 11, 1987 US and Canada: $969.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $969.2K - 18
Sep 25, 1987 US and Canada: $873.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $873.9K - 19
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $858.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $858.3K - 20
Sep 1, 1987 US and Canada: $796.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $796.4K - 21
Sep 13, 1987 US and Canada: $743.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $743.4K - 22
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $548.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $548.7K - 23
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $548.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $548.7K - 24
Sep 4, 1987 US and Canada: $519.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $519.6K - 25
Sep 1, 1987 US and Canada: $316.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $316.2K - 26
Sep 18, 1987 US and Canada: $252.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $252.4K - 27
Sep 3, 1987 US and Canada: $10.6K Rest of the world: $232.4K Worldwide: $243K - 28
Sep 16, 1987 US and Canada: $233K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $233K - 29
Sep 19, 1987 US and Canada: $101.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $101.8K - 30
Sep 10, 1987 US and Canada: $33.8K Rest of the world: $735 Worldwide: $34.5K - 31
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1987)Sep 2, 1987 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $70
Sep 2, 1987 · English · Sci-Fi, Adventure $70 worldwide
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in September 1987?
Of the top 10, The Principal (1987) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Fatal Attraction (1987) made 51% of its gross abroad. Across all 31 films, $276.4M (63%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Fatal Attraction (1987) $320.1M $156.6M US & Canada · 49% $163.5M elsewhere · 51%
- 2 The Princess Bride (1987) $31M $30.9M US & Canada · 100% $125K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 The Principal (1987) $19.7M $19.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Hellraiser (1987) $14.6M $14.6M US & Canada · 100% $15.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 5 The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1987) $13.3M $13.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Pick-up Artist (1987) $13.3M $13.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Dead (1987) $4.4M $4.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Best Seller (1987) $4.3M $4.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Maurice (1987) $2.6M $2.5M US & Canada · 94% $159.1K elsewhere · 6%
- 10 The Curse (1987) $1.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many September 1987 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
1 of 31 films crossed $100M and took $320.1M between them, 73% of the total. 25 films, 81% of the list, earned under $10M.
73% 21%
- $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, 3% of the list $320.1M · 73% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 5 films, 16% of the list $91.9M · 21% of the gross
- Under $10M 25 films, 81% of the list $28.4M · 6% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of September 1987 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 38 (Sep 13–19) took $374.7M, led by Fatal Attraction (1987). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 30–Sep 5 The Dead (1987) $7.6M The Dead (1987)
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 6–12 The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1987) $17.7M The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1987)
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 13–19 Fatal Attraction (1987) $374.7M Fatal Attraction (1987)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 20–26 The Princess Bride (1987) $40.5M The Princess Bride (1987)
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 27–Oct 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does September 1987 Compare With September in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, September 1987 earned the most: $440.5M from 31 films, led by Fatal Attraction (1987).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1978 8 films | 8 | $73.2M | – | Up in Smoke (1978) $44.4M |
| September 1979 10 films · −30% | 10 | $51M | −30% | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $21.7M |
| September 1980 10 films · +101% | 10 | $102.7M | +101% | Ordinary People (1980) $54.8M |
| September 1981 8 films · −27% | 8 | $75M | −27% | Only When I Laugh (1981) $25.5M |
| September 1982 9 films · −48% | 9 | $38.9M | −48% | Zapped! (1982) $16.9M |
| September 1983 16 films · +231% | 16 | $128.7M | +231% | The Big Chill (1983) $56.4M |
| September 1984 18 films · +27% | 18 | $163.3M | +27% | Amadeus (1984) $52.3M |
| September 1985 15 films · −49% | 15 | $82.8M | −49% | Agnes of God (1985) $25.6M |
| September 1986 10 films · +328% | 10 | $354.6M | +328% | Crocodile Dundee (1986) $328.2M |
| September 1987 31 films · +24% | 31 | $440.5M | +24% | Fatal Attraction (1987) $320.1M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in September 1987?
Drama took $374.9M across 19 films, 85% of the total, ahead of Thriller ($364.9M) and Romance ($52M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $423.2M across 26 films, 96% of the total, ahead of Spanish-language films ($13.3M) and French-language films ($2.9M).
September 1987 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $374.9M19 films · #1 Fatal Attraction (1987) -
Thriller $364.9M10 films · #1 Fatal Attraction (1987) -
Romance $52M8 films · #1 The Princess Bride (1987) -
Comedy $48.1M7 films · #1 The Princess Bride (1987) -
Crime $44.3M10 films · #1 The Principal (1987) -
Adventure $31.2M3 films · #1 The Princess Bride (1987) -
Family $31M1 film · #1 The Princess Bride (1987) -
Fantasy $31M1 film · #1 The Princess Bride (1987) -
Action $27.7M5 films · #1 The Principal (1987) -
Horror $17.9M3 films · #1 Hellraiser (1987)
Archive
Box Office in 1987, Month by Month
The months of 1987 with their totals: June leads with $531.5M, led by Predator (1987).
- January $146.4M #1 Outrageous Fortune (1987)
- February $184.6M #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
- March $274.8M #1 Lethal Weapon (1987)
- April $176.4M #1 The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)
- May $390.6M #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
- June $531.5M #1 Predator (1987)
- July $362.8M #1 La Bamba (1987)
- August $484.2M #1 Dirty Dancing (1987)
- September $440.5M #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- October $165.1M #1 Like Father Like Son (1987)
- November $381.6M #1 3 Men and a Baby (1987)
- December $468.2M #1 Moonstruck (1987)
FAQ
Box Office September 1987: 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 31 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in September 1987?
Fatal Attraction (1987) leads with $320.1M worldwide, $156.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Princess Bride (1987) at $31M and The Principal (1987) at $19.7M.
How much did movies released in September 1987 earn?
31 films released in September 1987 report a worldwide gross, $440.5M in all, or $14.2M per film on average. August 1987 releases took $484.2M.
How many movies released in September 1987 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Fatal Attraction (1987) with $320.1M.
How is the September 1987 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 September 1987. 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 September 1987 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.