#1 of 28 #1 movie of May 1988
1988 · Action, Adventure
$239.6M worldwide · 45% of the chart's total
$109.3M US & Canada · 46% $130.3M elsewhere · 54%
Box office · May 1988
May 1988 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Crocodile Dundee II (1988) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1988, with $239.6M worldwide, ahead of Rambo III (1988) at $189M and Willow (1988) at $57.3M. 28 films released in May 1988 report a worldwide gross, $533.3M in all, 50% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 170% on April 1988, whose releases took $197.4M. By genre, Action leads with $498.2M across 8 releases.
- May 1988 releases with a gross
- 28
- combined worldwide
- $533.3M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs April 1988
- +170%
#1 of 28 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1988?
Crocodile Dundee II (1988) leads with $239.6M, 45% of the total. The top 5 together took $515.1M, 97% of what all 28 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 May 1988, 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 1988.
- 1 May 25, 1988 US and Canada: $109.3M Rest of the world: $130.3M Worldwide: $239.6M
- 2 May 25, 1988 US and Canada: $53.7M Rest of the world: $135.3M Worldwide: $189M
- 3 May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $57.3M Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $57.3M
- 4 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)May 13, 1988 US and Canada: $19.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19.2M
May 13, 1988 · English · Thriller, Horror $19.2M worldwide - 5 May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $10.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.1M
- 6
May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $184.6K Worldwide: $3.5M - 7
May 15, 1988 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.3M - 8
May 1, 1988 US and Canada: $2.1M Rest of the world: $712 Worldwide: $2.1M - 9
May 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.8M - 10
May 14, 1988 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M - 11
May 13, 1988 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 12
May 13, 1988 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 13
May 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M - 14
May 13, 1988 US and Canada: $671.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $671.4K - 15
May 15, 1988 US and Canada: $429K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $429K - 16
May 11, 1988 US and Canada: $422.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $422.7K - 17
May 14, 1988 US and Canada: $346.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $346.7K - 18
May 13, 1988 US and Canada: $259K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $259K - 19
May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $251.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $251.8K - 20
May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $229.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $229.6K - 21
May 17, 1988 US and Canada: $191.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $191.1K - 22
May 18, 1988 US and Canada: $189K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $189K - 23
May 6, 1988 US and Canada: $174.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $174.4K - 24
May 20, 1988 US and Canada: $82.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $82.6K - 25
May 26, 1988 US and Canada: $75K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $75K - 26
May 21, 1988 US and Canada: $6.7K Rest of the world: $1.6K Worldwide: $8.3K - 27
May 27, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4K - 28
May 12, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $557
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1988?
Of the top 10, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Rambo III (1988) made 72% of its gross abroad. Across all 28 films, $267.5M (50%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988) $239.6M $109.3M US & Canada · 46% $130.3M elsewhere · 54%
- 2 Rambo III (1988) $189M $53.7M US & Canada · 28% $135.3M elsewhere · 72%
- 3 Willow (1988) $57.3M $57.3M US & Canada · 100% $2.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) $19.2M $19.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Shakedown (1988) $10.1M $10.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Wings of Desire (1988) $3.5M $3.3M US & Canada · 95% $184.6K elsewhere · 5%
- 7 A World Apart (1988) $2.3M $2.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Salaam Bombay! (1988) $2.1M $2.1M US & Canada · 100% $712 elsewhere · <1%
- 9 Stormy Monday (1988) $1.8M $1.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 A Handful of Dust (1988) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1988 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
2 of 28 films crossed $100M and took $428.6M between them, 80% of the total. 23 films, 82% of the list, earned under $10M.
80% 16%
- $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 2 films, 7% of the list $428.6M · 80% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 3 films, 11% of the list $86.5M · 16% of the gross
- Under $10M 23 films, 82% of the list $18.2M · 3% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 22 (May 22–28) took $428.7M, led by Crocodile Dundee II (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 1–7 Shakedown (1988) $18.9M Shakedown (1988)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 8–14 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) $24.9M Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 15–21 Willow (1988) $60.8M Willow (1988)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 22–28 Crocodile Dundee II (1988) $428.7M Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 29–Jun 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1988 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1980 earned the most: $700.1M from 13 films, led by Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). May 1988 took $533.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1979 10 films | 10 | $26.1M | – | 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 |
| May 1985 20 films · +8% | 20 | $527.8M | +8% | Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) $300.4M |
| May 1986 13 films · −1% | 13 | $522.4M | −1% | Top Gun (1986) $357.3M |
| May 1987 24 films · −25% | 24 | $390.6M | −25% | Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $300M |
| May 1988 28 films · +37% | 28 | $533.3M | +37% | Crocodile Dundee II (1988) $239.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1988?
Action took $498.2M across 8 films, 93% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($485.9M) and Comedy ($241.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $526.2M across 21 films, 99% of the total, ahead of German-language films ($3.5M) and Hindi-language films ($2.1M).
May 1988 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $498.2M8 films · #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988) -
Adventure $485.9M3 films · #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988) -
Comedy $241.5M6 films · #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988) -
Thriller $221.8M7 films · #1 Rambo III (1988) -
Drama $80.1M17 films · #1 Willow (1988) -
Romance $62.8M5 films · #1 Willow (1988) -
Fantasy $60.9M3 films · #1 Willow (1988) -
Horror $20.1M5 films · #1 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) -
Crime $14.9M7 films · #1 Shakedown (1988) -
Mystery $12.5M4 films · #1 Shakedown (1988)
May 1988 Box Office by Language
- English $526.2M21 films · #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
-
German $3.5M1 film · #1 Wings of Desire (1988) -
Hindi $2.1M1 film · #1 Salaam Bombay! (1988) -
French $1.1M1 film · #1 The Music Teacher (1988) -
Japanese $346.7K1 film · #1 The Yen Family (1988) -
Hungarian $82.6K1 film · #1 Hanussen (1988) -
Polish $5571 film · #1 On the Silver Globe (1988)
Archive
Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: December leads with $1B, led by Rain Man (1988).
- January $168.7M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- February $171.7M #1 Shoot to Kill (1988)
- March $284.1M #1 Beetlejuice (1988)
- April $197.4M #1 Colors (1988)
- May $533.3M #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- June $1B #1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
- July $601.7M #1 Cocktail (1988)
- August $244M #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- September $154.3M #1 Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- October $161.6M #1 Alien Nation (1988)
- November $387.2M #1 The Land Before Time (1988)
- December $1B #1 Rain Man (1988)
FAQ
Box Office May 1988: 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 28 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1988?
Crocodile Dundee II (1988) leads with $239.6M worldwide, $109.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Rambo III (1988) at $189M and Willow (1988) at $57.3M.
How much did movies released in May 1988 earn?
28 films released in May 1988 report a worldwide gross, $533.3M in all, or $19M per film on average. April 1988 releases took $197.4M.
How many movies released in May 1988 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Crocodile Dundee II (1988) with $239.6M.
How is the May 1988 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 1988. 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 1988 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.