The Blues Brothers (1980)

The Blues Brothers poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $57,229,890Details
International Box Office $15,389Details
Worldwide Box Office $57,245,279
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,858,152 (8.5% of total gross)
Legs:11.78 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$27,000,000 (worldwide box office is 2.1 times production budget)
Theater counts:594 opening theaters/594 max. theaters, 1.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $229,345,061

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes, iTunes
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: June 20th, 1980 (Wide) by Universal
November 29th, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events, released as The Blues Brothers (1980)
International Releases: September 24th, 2020 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 8th, 2020 (Special Engagement) (Australia)
April 11th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: September 8th, 1998 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 133 minutes
Franchise: Blues Brothers
Comparisons: vs. Insidious: The Red Door
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Life on the Outside, Car Chase, Neo Nazis, Saturday Night Live, Action Comedy, Fugitive / On the Run, Musicians, Monks and Nuns
Source:Based on TV
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Universal Pictures
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jun 20, 1980 2 $4,858,152   594 $8,179   $4,858,152 1

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 10/8/2020 $2,327 1 2 9 $15,203 10/19/2022
New Zealand 9/24/2020 $0 0 1 1 $186 4/21/2024
 
International Total$15,389 4/21/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Leading Cast

John Belushi    Joliet Jake
Dan Aykroyd    Elwood

Supporting Cast

James Brown    Reverend Cleophus James
Cab Calloway    Curtis
Ray Charles    Ray
Carrie Fisher    Mystery Woman
Aretha Franklin    Soul Food Cafe Owner
Henry Gibson    Head Nazi
Steve Cropper    Steve "The Colonel" Cropper
Donald Dunn    Donald "Duck" Dunn
Murphy Dunne    Murph
Willie Hall    Willie "Too Big" Hall
Tom Malone    "Bones" Malone
Lou Marini    "Blue" Lou Marini
Matt Murphy    Matt "Guitar" Murphy
Alan Rubin    Mr. Fabulous
John Candy    Burton Mercer
John Lee Hooker    Street Slim
Kathleen Freeman    Sister Mary Stigmata
Steve Lawrence    Maury Sline
Twiggy    Chic Lady
Frank Oz    Corrections Officer
Jeff Morris    Bob
Charles Napier    Tucker McElroy
Steve Williams    Trooper Mount
Armand Cerami    Trooper Daniel
Tom Erhart    Prison Guard
Gerald Walling    Prison Guard
Walter Levine    Prison Guard
Alonzo Atkins    Choirmaster
Stephen Bishop    Charming Trooper
John Landis    Trooper La Fong
Kristi Oleson    Sales Girl
Gary McLarty    Man in Toy Store
Joe Cuttone    Lloyd
Shotgun Britton    The Cheese Whiz
Toni Fleming    Mrs. Tarantino
Judy Jacklin    Cocktail Waitress
Rosie Schuster    Cocktail Waitress
Paul Reubens    Waiter
Ben Piazza    Father
Gwen Banta    Mother
Lari Taylor    Daughter
Cindy Fisher    Daughter
Elizabeth Hoy    Daughter
Tony M. Conde    Sommelier
Eugene J. Anthony    Gruppenfuhrer
Dean Hill    Nazi
Gary Houston    Nazi
Jack Orend    Nazi
Gene Schuldt    Nazi
Charles Mountain    Cop
Walter Horton    Tampa Pete
Pinetop Perkins    Luther Jackson
Willie Smith    Drums
Luther Johnson    Guitar
Calvin Jones    Bass
Carolyn Franklin    Soul Food Chorus Member
Brenda Bryant Corbett    Soul Food Chorus Member
Margaret Branch    Soul Food Chorus Member
Devoreaux White    Young Guitar Thief
Sheila Wells    Claire
Lou Perry    Man at Bar
Stan Mazin    Drunk Dancer
Russ Bruzek    One of the Good Ole Boys
Blair Burrows    One of the Good Ole Boys
Jack Callahan    One of the Good Ole Boys
Gene Janson    One of the Good Ole Boys
Gil Pearson    One of the Good Ole Boys
Aaron Jais    Orphan
Lemetrius Daniels    Orphan
Jeff Cahill    Orphan
Curt Clendenin    Orphan
Steve Cruz    Orphan
Leonard Daniels    Orphan
Sean Hayden    Orphan
Babtunde Myers    Orphan
Gary Patzik    Orphan
J. Bernard Walton    Orphan
Butch Williams    Orphan
Wally Engelhardt    Gas Station Owner
Michael Klenfner    Clarion Records' President
Ralph Foody    Police Dispatcher
Lenny Garner    Lobby Guard
Andrew Goodman    Lobby Guard
Eddy Donno    SWAT Team Commander
Shirley Levine    Woman on Cutting Room Floor

Cameos

Chaka Khan    Choir Soloist
Steven Spielberg    Cook County Clerk
Joe Walsh    Prisoner

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Landis    Director
Robert K. Weiss    Producer
Bernie Brillstein    Executive Producer
Dan Aykroyd    Screenwriter
John Landis    Screenwriter
George Folsey, Jr.    Associate Producer
David Sosna    Associate Producer
David Sosna    Assistant Director
Jerram A. Swartz    Assistant Director
Robert Latham Brown    Unit Production Manager
Tom Joyner    Unit Production Manager
Fran Roy    Production Supervisor
John J. Lloyd    Production Designer
Henry Larrecq    Art Director
Hal Gausman    Set Decorator
Leslie McCarthy-Frankenheimer    Set Decorator
Stephen M. Katz    Director of Photography
Deborah Nadoolman    Costume Designer
George Folsey, Jr.    Editor
Malcolm Campbell    Associate Editor
David Ramirez    Associate Editor
William B. Kaplan    Sound Mixer
Robert Knudson    Re-recording Mixer
Don MacDougall    Re-recording Mixer
Robert Glass    Re-recording Mixer
John Stacy    Sound Effects Editor
John Strauss    Music Editor
Elmer Bernstein    Composer
Ira Newborn    Music Supervisor
Michael Chinich    Casting Director
Gary McLarty    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 6th, 2012

March 6th, 2012

The number of big releases coming out this week can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The biggest theatrical release of the week is Immortals, but its reviews were weak enough that I think it might struggle on the home market in comparison. There are also a few catalog titles coming out on Blu-ray that are note-worthy, like To Catch a Thief. However, by far the biggest release, and the best, is Game of Thrones: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray, the latter of which is the Pick of the Week with To Catch a Thief not too far behind. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 16th, 2011

August 16th, 2011

It's a deceptively busy week, as there are several significant releases hitting the home market on Tuesday. However, most of these are wide releases that flopped, to one degree or another. In fact, one of the best selling releases of the week is Jane Eyre, an early success story in limited release. When a limited release could conceivably lead the way in sales... well, that's a sure sign of weakness in the overall market. As for the best release of the week, that would have to go to The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray Digibook. The latest season of Dexter would come close, but while the show is great, the releases are not Pick of the Week material. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: Animal House and The Blues Brothers

August 11th, 2011

I'm combining the Blu-ray reviews for National Lampoon's Animal House and The Blues Brothers for a number reasons. They were originally released in theaters less than two years apart, came out on Blu-ray the same day, they are both being released by the same studio, and I previously reviewed The Blues Brothers, so that review will be rather short. Another similarity... they're both widely considered the best of their respective franchises, both of which have fallen on hard times. So, have the years been good to them? And are these Blu-ray releases worth picking up More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 26th, 2011

July 25th, 2011

Summer time at the box office is amazing. From the first weekend in May until sometime in August, there is usually an average of one $100 million dollar movie released per week. This year will have at least three months in a row with at least one $100 million film. On the home market, on the other hand, summer time is crappy. This year has been particularly tiresome, as the spring wasn't a fun time at the box office. The biggest release this week is Source Code, which was only a midlevel hit. To be fair, it is one of the best-reviewed wide releases of the year. On the other hand, neither the DVD nor the Blu-ray are exactly overloaded with extras. More...

DVD Review - The Blues Brothers - 25th Anniversary Edition

September 12th, 2005

Just over a week ago, Universal released a 25th Anniversary Edition of The Blues Brothers. This review will go into the movie itself and the DVD presentation, but like all Special Editions, the real question is, is it worth the update. More...

  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,858,152 (8.5% of total gross)
Legs:11.78 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$27,000,000 (worldwide box office is 2.1 times production budget)
Theater counts:594 opening theaters/594 max. theaters, 1.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $229,345,061

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes, iTunes
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: June 20th, 1980 (Wide) by Universal
November 29th, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events, released as The Blues Brothers (1980)
International Releases: September 24th, 2020 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 8th, 2020 (Special Engagement) (Australia)
April 11th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: September 8th, 1998 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 133 minutes
Franchise: Blues Brothers
Comparisons: vs. Insidious: The Red Door
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Life on the Outside, Car Chase, Neo Nazis, Saturday Night Live, Action Comedy, Fugitive / On the Run, Musicians, Monks and Nuns
Source:Based on TV
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Universal Pictures
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

John Belushi    Joliet Jake
Dan Aykroyd    Elwood

Supporting Cast

James Brown    Reverend Cleophus James
Cab Calloway    Curtis
Ray Charles    Ray
Carrie Fisher    Mystery Woman
Aretha Franklin    Soul Food Cafe Owner
Henry Gibson    Head Nazi
Steve Cropper    Steve "The Colonel" Cropper
Donald Dunn    Donald "Duck" Dunn
Murphy Dunne    Murph
Willie Hall    Willie "Too Big" Hall
Tom Malone    "Bones" Malone
Lou Marini    "Blue" Lou Marini
Matt Murphy    Matt "Guitar" Murphy
Alan Rubin    Mr. Fabulous
John Candy    Burton Mercer
John Lee Hooker    Street Slim
Kathleen Freeman    Sister Mary Stigmata
Steve Lawrence    Maury Sline
Twiggy    Chic Lady
Frank Oz    Corrections Officer
Jeff Morris    Bob
Charles Napier    Tucker McElroy
Steve Williams    Trooper Mount
Armand Cerami    Trooper Daniel
Tom Erhart    Prison Guard
Gerald Walling    Prison Guard
Walter Levine    Prison Guard
Alonzo Atkins    Choirmaster
Stephen Bishop    Charming Trooper
John Landis    Trooper La Fong
Kristi Oleson    Sales Girl
Gary McLarty    Man in Toy Store
Joe Cuttone    Lloyd
Shotgun Britton    The Cheese Whiz
Toni Fleming    Mrs. Tarantino
Judy Jacklin    Cocktail Waitress
Rosie Schuster    Cocktail Waitress
Paul Reubens    Waiter
Ben Piazza    Father
Gwen Banta    Mother
Lari Taylor    Daughter
Cindy Fisher    Daughter
Elizabeth Hoy    Daughter
Tony M. Conde    Sommelier
Eugene J. Anthony    Gruppenfuhrer
Dean Hill    Nazi
Gary Houston    Nazi
Jack Orend    Nazi
Gene Schuldt    Nazi
Charles Mountain    Cop
Walter Horton    Tampa Pete
Pinetop Perkins    Luther Jackson
Willie Smith    Drums
Luther Johnson    Guitar
Calvin Jones    Bass
Carolyn Franklin    Soul Food Chorus Member
Brenda Bryant Corbett    Soul Food Chorus Member
Margaret Branch    Soul Food Chorus Member
Devoreaux White    Young Guitar Thief
Sheila Wells    Claire
Lou Perry    Man at Bar
Stan Mazin    Drunk Dancer
Russ Bruzek    One of the Good Ole Boys
Blair Burrows    One of the Good Ole Boys
Jack Callahan    One of the Good Ole Boys
Gene Janson    One of the Good Ole Boys
Gil Pearson    One of the Good Ole Boys
Aaron Jais    Orphan
Lemetrius Daniels    Orphan
Jeff Cahill    Orphan
Curt Clendenin    Orphan
Steve Cruz    Orphan
Leonard Daniels    Orphan
Sean Hayden    Orphan
Babtunde Myers    Orphan
Gary Patzik    Orphan
J. Bernard Walton    Orphan
Butch Williams    Orphan
Wally Engelhardt    Gas Station Owner
Michael Klenfner    Clarion Records' President
Ralph Foody    Police Dispatcher
Lenny Garner    Lobby Guard
Andrew Goodman    Lobby Guard
Eddy Donno    SWAT Team Commander
Shirley Levine    Woman on Cutting Room Floor

Cameos

Chaka Khan    Choir Soloist
Steven Spielberg    Cook County Clerk
Joe Walsh    Prisoner

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Landis    Director
Robert K. Weiss    Producer
Bernie Brillstein    Executive Producer
Dan Aykroyd    Screenwriter
John Landis    Screenwriter
George Folsey, Jr.    Associate Producer
David Sosna    Associate Producer
David Sosna    Assistant Director
Jerram A. Swartz    Assistant Director
Robert Latham Brown    Unit Production Manager
Tom Joyner    Unit Production Manager
Fran Roy    Production Supervisor
John J. Lloyd    Production Designer
Henry Larrecq    Art Director
Hal Gausman    Set Decorator
Leslie McCarthy-Frankenheimer    Set Decorator
Stephen M. Katz    Director of Photography
Deborah Nadoolman    Costume Designer
George Folsey, Jr.    Editor
Malcolm Campbell    Associate Editor
David Ramirez    Associate Editor
William B. Kaplan    Sound Mixer
Robert Knudson    Re-recording Mixer
Don MacDougall    Re-recording Mixer
Robert Glass    Re-recording Mixer
John Stacy    Sound Effects Editor
John Strauss    Music Editor
Elmer Bernstein    Composer
Ira Newborn    Music Supervisor
Michael Chinich    Casting Director
Gary McLarty    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 6th, 2012

March 6th, 2012

The number of big releases coming out this week can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The biggest theatrical release of the week is Immortals, but its reviews were weak enough that I think it might struggle on the home market in comparison. There are also a few catalog titles coming out on Blu-ray that are note-worthy, like To Catch a Thief. However, by far the biggest release, and the best, is Game of Thrones: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray, the latter of which is the Pick of the Week with To Catch a Thief not too far behind. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 16th, 2011

August 16th, 2011

It's a deceptively busy week, as there are several significant releases hitting the home market on Tuesday. However, most of these are wide releases that flopped, to one degree or another. In fact, one of the best selling releases of the week is Jane Eyre, an early success story in limited release. When a limited release could conceivably lead the way in sales... well, that's a sure sign of weakness in the overall market. As for the best release of the week, that would have to go to The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray Digibook. The latest season of Dexter would come close, but while the show is great, the releases are not Pick of the Week material. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: Animal House and The Blues Brothers

August 11th, 2011

I'm combining the Blu-ray reviews for National Lampoon's Animal House and The Blues Brothers for a number reasons. They were originally released in theaters less than two years apart, came out on Blu-ray the same day, they are both being released by the same studio, and I previously reviewed The Blues Brothers, so that review will be rather short. Another similarity... they're both widely considered the best of their respective franchises, both of which have fallen on hard times. So, have the years been good to them? And are these Blu-ray releases worth picking up More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 26th, 2011

July 25th, 2011

Summer time at the box office is amazing. From the first weekend in May until sometime in August, there is usually an average of one $100 million dollar movie released per week. This year will have at least three months in a row with at least one $100 million film. On the home market, on the other hand, summer time is crappy. This year has been particularly tiresome, as the spring wasn't a fun time at the box office. The biggest release this week is Source Code, which was only a midlevel hit. To be fair, it is one of the best-reviewed wide releases of the year. On the other hand, neither the DVD nor the Blu-ray are exactly overloaded with extras. More...

DVD Review - The Blues Brothers - 25th Anniversary Edition

September 12th, 2005

Just over a week ago, Universal released a 25th Anniversary Edition of The Blues Brothers. This review will go into the movie itself and the DVD presentation, but like all Special Editions, the real question is, is it worth the update. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jun 20, 1980 2 $4,858,152   594 $8,179   $4,858,152 1

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 10/8/2020 $2,327 1 2 9 $15,203 10/19/2022
New Zealand 9/24/2020 $0 0 1 1 $186 4/21/2024
 
International Total$15,389 4/21/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records