#1 of 17 #1 movie of January 1990
1990 · Drama, Thriller
$27.7M worldwide · 38% of the chart's total
$27.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · January 1990
January 1990 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing January Releases
Internal Affairs (1990) is the highest-grossing movie released in January 1990, with $27.7M worldwide, ahead of Tremors (1990) at $16.7M and Ski Patrol (1990) at $8.5M. 17 films released in January 1990 report a worldwide gross, $72.7M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 91% on December 1989, whose releases took $779.2M. By genre, Thriller leads with $41M across 5 releases.
- January 1990 releases with a gross
- 17
- combined worldwide
- $72.7M
- Internal Affairs (1990), the #1
- $27.7M
- vs December 1989
- −91%
#1 of 17 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of January 1990?
Internal Affairs (1990) leads with $27.7M, 38% of the total. The top 5 together took $63.1M, 87% of what all 17 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 January 1990, 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 January 1990.
- 1 Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: $27.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27.7M
- 2 Jan 19, 1990 US and Canada: $16.7M Rest of the world: $4.1K Worldwide: $16.7M
- 3 Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: $8.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.5M
- 4 Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.8M
Jan 12, 1990 · English · Thriller, Horror $5.8M worldwide - 5 Jan 26, 1990 US and Canada: $4.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3M
- 6
Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.3M - 7
Jan 19, 1990 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M - 8
Jan 24, 1990 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.6M - 9
Jan 19, 1990 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M - 10
Jan 19, 1990 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 11
1990 US and Canada: $577.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $577.7K - 12
Jan 26, 1990 US and Canada: $541.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $541.6K - 13
1990 US and Canada: $47.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $47.9K - 14
1990 US and Canada: $47.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $47.9K - 15
1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.1K - 16
1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K - 17
Jan 12, 1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $701
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in January 1990?
Of the top 10, Internal Affairs (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Tremors (1990) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 17 films, $72.7M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Internal Affairs (1990) $27.7M $27.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Tremors (1990) $16.7M $16.7M US & Canada · 100% $4.1K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Ski Patrol (1990) $8.5M $8.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) $5.8M $5.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Dark Angel (1990) $4.3M $4.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Downtown (1990) $2.3M $2.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Brain Dead (1990) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 May Fools (1990) $1.6M $1.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Streets (1990) $1.5M $1.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Everybody Wins (1990) $1.4M $1.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many January 1990 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 17 films reached $100M. 15 films, 88% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $72.7M total.
61% 39%
- $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 2 films, 12% of the list $44.4M · 61% of the gross
- Under $10M 15 films, 88% of the list $28.3M · 39% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of January 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 2 (Jan 7–13) took $44.4M, led by Internal Affairs (1990). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 1 Wk 1 Jan 1–6 Overexposed (1990) $680.7K Overexposed (1990)
- Week 2 Wk 2 Jan 7–13 Internal Affairs (1990) $44.4M Internal Affairs (1990)
- Week 3 Wk 3 Jan 14–20 Tremors (1990) $21.2M Tremors (1990)
- Week 4 Wk 4 Jan 21–27 Dark Angel (1990) $6.5M Dark Angel (1990)
- Week 5 Wk 5 Jan 28–Feb 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does January 1990 Compare With January in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, January 1988 earned the most: $168.7M from 10 films, led by Good Morning, Vietnam (1988). January 1990 took $72.7M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1981 6 films | 6 | $35.7M | – | The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) $20.3M |
| January 1982 7 films · +21% | 7 | $43.3M | +21% | Vice Squad (1982) $13.3M |
| January 1983 4 films · −44% | 4 | $24.2M | −44% | The House on Sorority Row (1983) $10.6M |
| January 1984 8 films · +224% | 8 | $78.5M | +224% | Yentl (1984) $40.2M |
| January 1985 6 films · −75% | 6 | $19.6M | −75% | Tuff Turf (1985) $9.4M |
| January 1986 19 films · +722% | 19 | $161M | +722% | Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) $62.1M |
| January 1987 14 films · −9% | 14 | $146.4M | −9% | Outrageous Fortune (1987) $52.9M |
| January 1988 10 films · +15% | 10 | $168.7M | +15% | Good Morning, Vietnam (1988) $123.9M |
| January 1989 11 films · −43% | 11 | $96.3M | −43% | Three Fugitives (1989) $40.6M |
| January 1990 17 films · −25% | 17 | $72.7M | −25% | Internal Affairs (1990) $27.7M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in January 1990?
Thriller took $41M across 5 films, 56% of the total, ahead of Crime ($33.5M) and Drama ($30.8M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $54.5M across 12 films, 75% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($1.6M) and Malayalam-language films ($6.1K).
January 1990 Box Office by Genre
-
Thriller $41M5 films · #1 Internal Affairs (1990) -
Crime $33.5M3 films · #1 Internal Affairs (1990) -
Drama $30.8M5 films · #1 Internal Affairs (1990) -
Comedy $29.7M7 films · #1 Tremors (1990) -
Horror $29M5 films · #1 Tremors (1990) -
Sci-Fi $22.6M3 films · #1 Tremors (1990) -
Action $16.7M4 films · #1 Ski Patrol (1990) -
Mystery $2.2M2 films · #1 Brain Dead (1990) -
Animation $47.9K1 film · #1 The Wrong Type (1990) -
Documentary $1.1K1 film · #1 Bumming in Beijing: The Last Dreamers (1990)
January 1990 Box Office by Language
Archive
Box Office in 1990, Month by Month
The months of 1990 with their totals: November leads with $1.3B, led by Home Alone (1990).
- January $72.7M #1 Internal Affairs (1990)
- February $172.9M #1 Hard to Kill (1990)
- March $1B #1 Pretty Woman (1990)
- April $162.8M #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
- May $457.8M #1 Back to the Future Part III (1990)
- June $870.4M #1 Total Recall (1990)
- July $1.2B #1 Ghost (1990)
- August $384.4M #1 Flatliners (1990)
- September $194.9M #1 Goodfellas (1990)
- October $248.9M #1 Marked for Death (1990)
- November $1.3B #1 Home Alone (1990)
- December $624M #1 Kindergarten Cop (1990)
FAQ
Box Office January 1990: 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 17 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in January 1990?
Internal Affairs (1990) leads with $27.7M worldwide, $27.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Tremors (1990) at $16.7M and Ski Patrol (1990) at $8.5M.
How much did movies released in January 1990 earn?
17 films released in January 1990 report a worldwide gross, $72.7M in all, or $4.3M per film on average. December 1989 releases took $779.2M.
How many movies released in January 1990 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Internal Affairs (1990), earned $27.7M.
How is the January 1990 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 January 1990. 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 January 1990 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.