1981 Weekly Box Office Records

This chart shows the highest-grossing weeks at the domestic box office for 1981.

Rank	Date	Movie	Weekly Gross	Theaters	Per-Theater Average	Total Gross	Days in Release
1	Jun 19, 1981	Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams	$29,443,000	1,253	$23,498	$26,333,000	21
2	Jun 19, 1981	Superman II	$24,009,272	1,395	$17,211	$24,009,272	7
3	Jun 26, 1981	Superman II	$18,557,271	1,408	$13,180	$42,566,543	14
4	Jun 5, 1981	Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams	$17,392,850	1,390	$12,513	$17,392,850	7
5	Jun 19, 1981	History of the World: Part I	$15,482,521	497	$31,152	$12,289,964	14
6	Jun 12, 1981	Clash of the Titans	$14,091,517	0		$14,091,517	7
7	Jun 19, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$13,991,002	1,078	$12,979	$27,834,041	14
8	Jun 12, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$13,843,039	1,078	$12,841	$13,843,039	7
9	Jul 3, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$13,337,657	1,078	$12,373	$52,269,366	28
10	Jun 26, 1981	The Cannonball Run	$12,957,729	1,692	$7,658	$31,814,954	14
11	Jul 10, 1981	Superman II	$12,892,003	1,853	$6,957	$66,364,438	28
12	Jun 19, 1981	The Cannonball Run	$11,765,654	1,673	$7,033	$11,765,654	7
13	Jul 31, 1981	Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire S…	$11,238,316	1,364	$8,239	$192,592,171	443
14	Jun 26, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$11,097,668	1,078	$10,295	$38,931,709	21
15	Jun 26, 1981	For Your Eyes Only	$10,988,007	952	$11,542	$10,988,007	7
16	Jul 3, 1981	Superman II	$10,905,892	1,878	$5,807	$53,472,435	21
17	Jun 26, 1981	Stripes	$10,871,288	1,074	$10,122	$10,871,288	7
18	Oct 9, 1981	Continental Divide	$10,743,004	513	$20,942	$9,783,004	28
19	Jul 17, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$10,716,228	1,100	$9,742	$72,697,307	42
20	Jul 24, 1981	Tarzan, The Ape Man	$10,198,355	930	$10,966	$10,198,355	7
21	Jul 24, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$10,070,746	1,182	$8,520	$82,768,053	49
22	Jul 3, 1981	Stripes	$9,859,373	1,085	$9,087	$20,730,661	14
23	Jul 10, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$9,711,713	1,078	$9,009	$61,981,079	35
24	Oct 30, 1981	Halloween II	$9,564,578	1,217	$7,859	$9,564,578	7
25	Jul 3, 1981	For Your Eyes Only	$9,412,889	1,086	$8,667	$20,400,896	14
26	Dec 25, 1981	Modern Problems	$9,179,519	1,111	$8,262	$9,179,519	7
27	Jul 10, 1981	Stripes	$8,914,398	1,093	$8,156	$29,686,433	21
28	Jul 3, 1981	The Cannonball Run	$8,524,229	1,573	$5,419	$40,339,183	21
29	Jul 17, 1981	Stripes	$8,473,896	1,113	$7,614	$38,160,329	28
30	Jul 17, 1981	Superman II	$8,361,441	1,227	$6,815	$74,725,879	35
31	Jul 31, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$8,360,093	1,140	$7,333	$91,128,146	56
32	May 22, 1981	Bustin' Loose	$8,180,335	828	$9,880	$8,180,335	7
33	Aug 7, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$7,802,988	1,091	$7,152	$98,931,134	63
34	Aug 14, 1981	An Eye for an Eye	$7,696,124	544	$14,147	$5,891,767	14
35	Aug 14, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$7,618,690	1,310	$5,816	$106,549,824	70
36	Jul 10, 1981	The Fox and the Hound	$7,593,453	1,030	$7,372	$7,593,453	7
37	Nov 6, 1981	Time Bandits	$7,439,284	821	$9,061	$7,439,284	7
38	Jul 24, 1981	Stripes	$7,175,025	1,086	$6,607	$45,166,247	35
39	Jul 17, 1981	The Fox and the Hound	$7,064,603	1,030	$6,859	$14,658,056	14
40	May 22, 1981	The Four Seasons	$7,020,716	623	$11,269	$7,020,716	7
41	Aug 21, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$6,911,381	1,180	$5,857	$113,461,205	77
42	Jul 31, 1981	Tarzan, The Ape Man	$6,857,626	1,050	$6,531	$17,055,981	14
43	May 29, 1981	Bustin' Loose	$6,719,665	810	$8,296	$14,900,000	14
44	Jul 3, 1981	The Great Muppet Caper	$6,582,278	621	$10,599	$12,172,585	14
45	Sep 25, 1981	Mommie Dearest	$6,416,243	930	$6,899	$7,329,101	14
46	Jul 10, 1981	For Your Eyes Only	$6,399,104	1,026	$6,237	$26,800,000	21
47	Aug 28, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$6,387,165	1,110	$5,754	$119,848,370	84
48	Sep 4, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$6,295,099	1,144	$5,503	$126,143,469	91
49	Jul 10, 1981	Escape from New York	$6,267,381	579	$10,824	$6,267,381	7
50	Aug 7, 1981	Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire S…	$6,207,434	1,382	$4,492	$198,799,605	450
51	Dec 25, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$6,175,689	1,221	$5,058	$164,690,123	203
52	Jul 10, 1981	The Cannonball Run	$6,039,318	1,302	$4,638	$46,378,501	28
53	Sep 4, 1981	Arthur	$5,982,331	949	$6,304	$39,644,373	56
54	Jul 24, 1981	Superman II	$5,864,368	989	$5,930	$80,590,247	42
55	Jul 31, 1981	Stripes	$5,733,228	1,064	$5,388	$50,899,475	42
56	Nov 13, 1981	Time Bandits	$5,660,716	832	$6,804	$13,100,000	14
57	Jun 26, 1981	The Great Muppet Caper	$5,590,307	680	$8,221	$5,590,307	7
58	Nov 6, 1981	Halloween II	$5,560,651	1,208	$4,603	$15,360,651	14
59	Aug 21, 1981	An American Werewolf in London	$5,486,245	870	$6,306	$5,486,245	7
60	Aug 28, 1981	An American Werewolf in London	$5,452,295	750	$7,270	$10,938,540	14
61	Nov 20, 1981	Time Bandits	$5,364,578	981	$5,468	$18,464,578	21
62	Aug 7, 1981	Heavy Metal	$5,273,112	620	$8,505	$5,273,112	7
63	Nov 20, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$5,258,268	1,232	$4,268	$153,889,421	168
64	Aug 7, 1981	Tarzan, The Ape Man	$5,160,325	1,113	$4,636	$22,216,306	21
65	Sep 25, 1981	Only When I Laugh	$5,148,542	758	$6,792	$5,250,941	9
66	Nov 27, 1981	Time Bandits	$5,130,422	1,046	$4,905	$23,595,000	28
67	Aug 21, 1981	Arthur	$5,123,906	774	$6,620	$28,759,245	42
68	Aug 7, 1981	Arthur	$5,109,748	605	$8,446	$18,812,583	28
69	Aug 28, 1981	Arthur	$4,902,797	854	$5,741	$33,662,042	49
70	Jul 24, 1981	Arthur	$4,885,658	705	$6,930	$9,554,885	14
71	Aug 7, 1981	Stripes	$4,884,209	991	$4,929	$55,783,684	49
72	Jul 24, 1981	For Your Eyes Only	$4,884,003	700	$6,977	$35,780,000	35
73	Aug 14, 1981	Arthur	$4,822,756	661	$7,296	$23,635,339	35
74	Aug 14, 1981	Stripes	$4,787,742	1,044	$4,586	$60,571,426	56
75	Jul 17, 1981	Arthur	$4,669,227	701	$6,661	$4,669,227	7
76	Nov 27, 1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	$4,625,013	1,251	$3,697	$158,514,434	175
77	Jul 31, 1981	Superman II	$4,591,925	908	$5,057	$85,182,172	49
78	Oct 2, 1981	Paternity	$4,387,889	1,072	$4,093	$4,387,889	7
79	Jul 24, 1981	Wolfen	$4,380,926	967	$4,530	$4,380,926	7
80	Oct 2, 1981	Only When I Laugh	$4,336,180	794	$5,461	$9,587,121	16
81	Sep 4, 1981	An American Werewolf in London	$4,321,747	825	$5,238	$15,260,287	21
82	Aug 14, 1981	Heavy Metal	$4,203,498	738	$5,696	$9,476,610	14
83	Sep 11, 1981	Arthur	$4,151,890	948	$4,380	$43,796,263	63
84	Jul 31, 1981	Arthur	$4,147,950	630	$6,584	$13,702,835	21
85	Sep 18, 1981	Body Heat	$4,143,587	764	$5,424	$6,442,881	28
86	Aug 14, 1981	Under the Rainbow	$4,118,631	771	$5,342	$10,819,664	21
87	Jul 17, 1981	For Your Eyes Only	$4,095,997	1,049	$3,905	$30,895,997	28
88	Sep 18, 1981	Continental Divide	$4,086,063	864	$4,729	$4,086,063	7
89	Jul 10, 1981	The Great Muppet Caper	$4,074,238	700	$5,820	$16,246,823	21
90	Aug 21, 1981	Stripes	$4,047,404	1,015	$3,988	$64,618,830	63
91	Jul 31, 1981	Endless Love	$4,019,605	632	$6,360	$15,401,364	21
92	Jul 24, 1981	Blow Out	$4,000,000	708	$5,650	$4,000,000	7
93	Oct 2, 1981	Mommie Dearest	$3,998,256	930	$4,299	$11,327,357	21
94	Aug 28, 1981	Stripes	$3,895,432	1,117	$3,487	$68,514,262	70
95	May 22, 1981	Outland	$3,869,000	331	$11,689	$3,869,000	7
96	Sep 18, 1981	Arthur	$3,860,215	939	$4,111	$47,656,478	70
97	Oct 9, 1981	Arthur	$3,841,568	931	$4,126	$57,819,598	91
98	Sep 4, 1981	Stripes	$3,841,266	110	$34,921	$72,355,528	77
99	Jun 26, 1981	Dragonslayer	$3,819,268	868	$4,400	$3,819,268	7
100	Aug 21, 1981	First Monday in October	$3,650,651	525	$6,954	$3,650,651	7