#1 of 20 #1 movie of August 1988
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
1988 · Thriller, Horror
$49.4M worldwide · 20% of the chart's total
$49.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · August 1988
August 1988 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing August Releases
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) is the highest-grossing movie released in August 1988, with $49.4M worldwide, ahead of Young Guns (1988) at $45.7M and Betrayed (1988) at $25.8M. 20 films released in August 1988 report a worldwide gross, $244M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 59% on July 1988, whose releases took $601.7M. By genre, Thriller leads with $126.1M across 4 releases.
- August 1988 releases with a gross
- 20
- combined worldwide
- $244M
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), the #1
- $49.4M
- vs July 1988
- −59%
#1 of 20 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of August 1988?
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) leads with $49.4M, 20% of the total. The top 5 together took $162M, 66% of what all 20 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1 $49.4M A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)$49.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of August 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 August 1988.
- 1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)Aug 19, 1988 US and Canada: $49.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $49.4M
Aug 19, 1988 · English · Thriller, Horror $49.4M worldwide - 2 Aug 12, 1988 US and Canada: $45.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $45.7M
- 3 Aug 23, 1988 US and Canada: $25.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.8M
- 4 Aug 19, 1988 US and Canada: $21.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.5M
- 5 Aug 12, 1988 US and Canada: $19.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19.7M
- 6
Aug 17, 1988 US and Canada: $16.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.3M - 7
Aug 12, 1988 US and Canada: $8.4M Rest of the world: $492.8K Worldwide: $8.9M - 8
Aug 10, 1988 US and Canada: $8.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.7M - 9
Aug 5, 1988 US and Canada: $8.2M Rest of the world: $848 Worldwide: $8.2M - 10
Aug 26, 1988 US and Canada: $7.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.5M - 11
Aug 26, 1988 US and Canada: $6.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.4M - 12
Aug 12, 1988 US and Canada: $6.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.4M - 13
Aug 18, 1988 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M - 14
Aug 5, 1988 US and Canada: $5.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.9M - 15
Aug 26, 1988 US and Canada: $5.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.3M - 16
Aug 5, 1988 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M - 17
Aug 1, 1988 US and Canada: $397.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $397.9K - 18
Aug 1, 1988 US and Canada: $124K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $124K - 19
Aug 1, 1988 US and Canada: $124K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $124K - 20
Aug 14, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $335
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in August 1988?
Of the top 10, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) made 6% of its gross abroad. Across all 20 films, $243.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) $49.4M $49.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Young Guns (1988) $45.7M $45.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Betrayed (1988) $25.8M $25.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Married to the Mob (1988) $21.5M $21.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) $19.7M $19.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Crossing Delancey (1988) $16.3M $16.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) $8.9M $8.4M US & Canada · 94% $492.8K elsewhere · 6%
- 8 Clean and Sober (1988) $8.7M $8.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Blob (1988) $8.2M $8.2M US & Canada · 100% $848 elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Stealing Home (1988) $7.5M $7.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many August 1988 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 20 films reached $100M. 14 films, 70% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $244M total.
73% 27%
- $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 6 films, 30% of the list $178.3M · 73% of the gross
- Under $10M 14 films, 70% of the list $65.8M · 27% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of August 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 34 (Aug 14–20) took $93.1M, led by A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 32 Wk 32 Jul 31–Aug 6 The Blob (1988) $16.6M The Blob (1988)
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 7–13 Young Guns (1988) $89.3M Young Guns (1988)
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 14–20 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) $93.1M A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 21–27 Betrayed (1988) $45M Betrayed (1988)
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 28–Sep 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does August 1988 Compare With August in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, August 1987 earned the most: $484.2M from 33 films, led by Dirty Dancing (1987). August 1988 took $244M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1979 13 films | 13 | $218.4M | – | 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 |
| August 1987 33 films · +60% | 33 | $484.2M | +60% | Dirty Dancing (1987) $214.6M |
| August 1988 20 films · −50% | 20 | $244M | −50% | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) $49.4M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in August 1988?
Thriller took $126.1M across 4 films, 52% of the total, ahead of Crime ($98.3M) and Comedy ($91.7M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $244M across 19 films, 100% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($335).
August 1988 Box Office by Genre
-
Thriller $126.1M4 films · #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) -
Crime $98.3M4 films · #1 Young Guns (1988) -
Comedy $91.7M6 films · #1 Young Guns (1988) -
Drama $87.6M9 films · #1 Betrayed (1988) -
Romance $58.8M7 films · #1 Married to the Mob (1988) -
Action $58.7M4 films · #1 Young Guns (1988) -
Horror $57.6M2 films · #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) -
Western $45.7M1 film · #1 Young Guns (1988) -
Biography $19.7M1 film · #1 Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) -
Sci-Fi $15.1M3 films · #1 The Blob (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 August 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 20 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in August 1988?
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) leads with $49.4M worldwide, $49.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Young Guns (1988) at $45.7M and Betrayed (1988) at $25.8M.
How much did movies released in August 1988 earn?
20 films released in August 1988 report a worldwide gross, $244M in all, or $12.2M per film on average. July 1988 releases took $601.7M.
How many movies released in August 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), earned $49.4M.
How is the August 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 August 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 August 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.