An American Werewolf in London (1981)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $31,973,249 | Details |
| International Box Office | $29,995,139 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $61,968,388 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $210,894 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $881,379 | |
| Total | $1,092,273 | |
| OpusData ID: 17790100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $3,786,512 (11.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 8.44 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 51.6% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 870 opening theaters/870 max. theaters, 4.7 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $130,078,210 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | August 21st, 1981 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | November 12th, 1981 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
April 8th, 1982 (Limited) (Australia) October 30th, 2020 (Limited) (United Kingdom) |
| Video Release: | 1981 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 97 minutes |
| Franchise: | American Werewolf |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Visual Effects |
| Geographical setting: | London |
| Plot point: | Curses, Death of a Best Friend, Death of a Girlfriend / Boyfriend, Doomed Romance, Monster, Romance, Suicide Attempt, Tourists In Trouble, Werewolf |
| Social setting: | Supernatural, Vacation |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Polygram Pictures, Lycanthrope Films |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom, United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1981 | 2 | $3,786,512 | 870 | $4,352 | $3,786,512 | 1 | |
| Aug 28, 1981 | 2 | $3,500,000 | -8% | 750 | $4,667 | $8,986,245 | 2 |
| Sep 4, 1981 | 3 | $3,561,460 | +2% | 825 | $4,317 | $14,500,000 | 3 |
| Sep 11, 1981 | 3 | $1,960,000 | -45% | 767 | $2,555 | $17,220,287 | 4 |
| Sep 18, 1981 | 6 | $1,400,000 | -29% | 544 | $2,574 | $19,223,249 | 5 |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 10 | $641,105 | -54% | 305 | $2,102 | $20,445,527 | 6 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1981 | 2 | $5,486,245 | 870 | $6,306 | $5,486,245 | 1 | |
| Aug 28, 1981 | 2 | $5,452,295 | -1% | 750 | $7,270 | $10,938,540 | 2 |
| Sep 4, 1981 | 3 | $4,321,747 | -21% | 825 | $5,238 | $15,260,287 | 3 |
| Sep 11, 1981 | 4 | $2,562,962 | -41% | 767 | $3,342 | $17,823,249 | 4 |
| Sep 18, 1981 | 5 | $1,981,173 | -23% | 544 | $3,642 | $19,804,422 | 5 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11/12/1981 | $0 | 0 | 28 | 109 | $172,212 | 11/5/2025 | |||
| Rest of World | $29,822,927 | |||||||||
| International Total | $29,995,139 | 11/5/2025 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| Frank Oz | Mr. Collins/Miss Piggy | |
| John Landis | Man being smashed into a window | |
| Griffin Dunne | Jack Goodman | |
| Rik Mayall | 2nd Chess Player | |
| David Naughton | David Kessler | |
| Jenny Agutter | Nurse Alex Price | |
| David Schofield | Darts player |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Landis | Director |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $3,786,512 (11.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 8.44 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 51.6% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 870 opening theaters/870 max. theaters, 4.7 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $130,078,210 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | August 21st, 1981 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | November 12th, 1981 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
April 8th, 1982 (Limited) (Australia) October 30th, 2020 (Limited) (United Kingdom) |
| Video Release: | 1981 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 97 minutes |
| Franchise: | American Werewolf |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Visual Effects |
| Geographical setting: | London |
| Plot point: | Curses, Death of a Best Friend, Death of a Girlfriend / Boyfriend, Doomed Romance, Monster, Romance, Suicide Attempt, Tourists In Trouble, Werewolf |
| Social setting: | Supernatural, Vacation |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Polygram Pictures, Lycanthrope Films |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom, United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1981 | 2 | $3,786,512 | 870 | $4,352 | $3,786,512 | 1 | |
| Aug 28, 1981 | 2 | $3,500,000 | -8% | 750 | $4,667 | $8,986,245 | 2 |
| Sep 4, 1981 | 3 | $3,561,460 | +2% | 825 | $4,317 | $14,500,000 | 3 |
| Sep 11, 1981 | 3 | $1,960,000 | -45% | 767 | $2,555 | $17,220,287 | 4 |
| Sep 18, 1981 | 6 | $1,400,000 | -29% | 544 | $2,574 | $19,223,249 | 5 |
| Sep 25, 1981 | 10 | $641,105 | -54% | 305 | $2,102 | $20,445,527 | 6 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1981 | 2 | $5,486,245 | 870 | $6,306 | $5,486,245 | 1 | |
| Aug 28, 1981 | 2 | $5,452,295 | -1% | 750 | $7,270 | $10,938,540 | 2 |
| Sep 4, 1981 | 3 | $4,321,747 | -21% | 825 | $5,238 | $15,260,287 | 3 |
| Sep 11, 1981 | 4 | $2,562,962 | -41% | 767 | $3,342 | $17,823,249 | 4 |
| Sep 18, 1981 | 5 | $1,981,173 | -23% | 544 | $3,642 | $19,804,422 | 5 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11/12/1981 | $0 | 0 | 28 | 109 | $172,212 | 11/5/2025 | |||
| Rest of World | $29,822,927 | |||||||||
| International Total | $29,995,139 | 11/5/2025 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| Frank Oz | Mr. Collins/Miss Piggy | |
| John Landis | Man being smashed into a window | |
| Griffin Dunne | Jack Goodman | |
| Rik Mayall | 2nd Chess Player | |
| David Naughton | David Kessler | |
| Jenny Agutter | Nurse Alex Price | |
| David Schofield | Darts player |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Landis | Director |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.