#1 of 16 #1 movie of April 1990
1990 · Comedy, Crime
$25M worldwide · 15% of the chart's total
$25M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · April 1990
April 1990 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing April Releases
Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) is the highest-grossing movie released in April 1990, with $25M worldwide, ahead of The First Power (1990) at $22.4M and The Guardian (1990) at $17M. 16 films released in April 1990 report a worldwide gross, $162.8M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 84% on March 1990, whose releases took $1B. By genre, Comedy leads with $94.9M across 8 releases.
- April 1990 releases with a gross
- 16
- combined worldwide
- $162.8M
- Ernest Goes to Jail (1990), the #1
- $25M
- vs March 1990
- −84%
#1 of 16 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of April 1990?
Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) leads with $25M, 15% of the total. The top 5 together took $96M, 59% of what all 16 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 April 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 April 1990.
- 1 Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $25M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25M
- 2 Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $22.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.4M
- 3 Apr 27, 1990 US and Canada: $17M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17M
- 4 Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $16.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.2M
- 5 Apr 27, 1990 US and Canada: $15.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.4M
- 6
Apr 13, 1990 US and Canada: $13.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.2M - 7
Apr 27, 1990 US and Canada: $11.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.1M - 8
Apr 20, 1990 US and Canada: $9.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.9M - 9
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990)Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $7.7M Rest of the world: $802.6K Worldwide: $8.5M
Apr 6, 1990 · English · Drama, Crime $8.5M worldwide - 10
Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $8.3M Rest of the world: $312 Worldwide: $8.3M - 11
Apr 13, 1990 US and Canada: $6.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.3M - 12
Apr 20, 1990 US and Canada: $4.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3M - 13
Apr 6, 1990 US and Canada: $2.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.5M - 14
Apr 13, 1990 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 15
Apr 30, 1990 US and Canada: $717.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $717.8K - 16
Apr 4, 1990 US and Canada: $604.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $604.6K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in April 1990?
Of the top 10, Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990) made 9% of its gross abroad. Across all 16 films, $162M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) $25M $25M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The First Power (1990) $22.4M $22.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Guardian (1990) $17M $17M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 I Love You to Death (1990) $16.2M $16.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Spaced Invaders (1990) $15.4M $15.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Crazy People (1990) $13.2M $13.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Wild Orchid (1990) $11.1M $11.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Miami Blues (1990) $9.9M $9.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990) $8.5M $7.7M US & Canada · 91% $802.6K elsewhere · 9%
- 10 Cry-Baby (1990) $8.3M $8.3M US & Canada · 100% $312 elsewhere · <1%
Gross bands
How Many April 1990 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 16 films reached $100M. 9 films, 56% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $162.8M total.
74% 26%
- $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 7 films, 44% of the list $120.3M · 74% of the gross
- Under $10M 9 films, 56% of the list $42.4M · 26% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of April 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 14 (Apr 1–7) took $83.6M, led by Ernest Goes to Jail (1990). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 14 Wk 14 Apr 1–7 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) $83.6M Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
- Week 15 Wk 15 Apr 8–14 Crazy People (1990) $20.8M Crazy People (1990)
- Week 16 Wk 16 Apr 15–21 Miami Blues (1990) $14.2M Miami Blues (1990)
- Week 17 Wk 17 Apr 22–28 The Guardian (1990) $43.5M The Guardian (1990)
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 29–May 5 Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) $717.8K Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990)
Earlier years
How Does April 1990 Compare With April in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, April 1989 earned the most: $374.7M from 20 films, led by Field of Dreams (1989). April 1990 took $162.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1981 13 films | 13 | $137.4M | – | Excalibur (1981) $35M |
| April 1982 11 films · +14% | 11 | $157.1M | +14% | Chariots of Fire (1982) $59.3M |
| April 1983 16 films · +9% | 16 | $171.3M | +9% | Flashdance (1983) $92.9M |
| April 1984 12 films · −33% | 12 | $114.9M | −33% | Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) $33M |
| April 1985 11 films · −13% | 11 | $100.4M | −13% | Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) $27.4M |
| April 1986 22 films · +15% | 22 | $115.7M | +15% | A Room with a View (1986) $21.1M |
| April 1987 9 films · +52% | 9 | $176.4M | +52% | The Secret of My Succe$s (1987) $111M |
| April 1988 28 films · +12% | 28 | $197.4M | +12% | Colors (1988) $46.6M |
| April 1989 20 films · +90% | 20 | $374.7M | +90% | Field of Dreams (1989) $84.5M |
| April 1990 16 films · −57% | 16 | $162.8M | −57% | Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) $25M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in April 1990?
Comedy took $94.9M across 8 films, 58% of the total, ahead of Crime ($84.6M) and Drama ($66.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $128.9M across 13 films, 79% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($604.6K).
April 1990 Box Office by Genre
-
Comedy $94.9M8 films · #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) -
Crime $84.6M6 films · #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) -
Drama $66.6M9 films · #1 The Guardian (1990) -
Thriller $56.2M5 films · #1 The First Power (1990) -
Horror $43.8M3 films · #1 The First Power (1990) -
Family $25M1 film · #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) -
Mystery $17M1 film · #1 The Guardian (1990) -
Adventure $15.4M1 film · #1 Spaced Invaders (1990) -
Sci-Fi $15.4M1 film · #1 Spaced Invaders (1990) -
Romance $13M3 films · #1 Wild Orchid (1990)
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 April 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 16 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in April 1990?
Ernest Goes to Jail (1990) leads with $25M worldwide, $25M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The First Power (1990) at $22.4M and The Guardian (1990) at $17M.
How much did movies released in April 1990 earn?
16 films released in April 1990 report a worldwide gross, $162.8M in all, or $10.2M per film on average. March 1990 releases took $1B.
How many movies released in April 1990 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Ernest Goes to Jail (1990), earned $25M.
How is the April 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 April 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 April 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.