Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
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| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $16,118,077 | Details |
| International Box Office | $39 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $16,118,116 | |
| OpusData ID: 29080100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $5,126,791 (31.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 3.14 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $25,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.6 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,196 opening theaters/1,199 max. theaters, 2.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $44,354,122 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | April 1st, 1988 (Wide) by United Artists |
| International Releases: | July 5th, 2026 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 5th, 2003 by Fox Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 108 minutes |
| Geographical setting: | New York City |
| Plot point: | Addiction, Depression, Dysfunctional Family, Fired, Relationships Gone Wrong, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Source material: | Novel or Other Work Adapted by Author |
| Subgenre: | Life Drama |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Mirage |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1988 | 3 | $5,126,791 | 1,196 | $4,287 | $5,126,791 | 1 | |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 5 | $3,087,063 | -40% | 1,199 | $2,575 | $10,000,101 | 2 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 10 | $1,898,023 | -39% | 1,103 | $1,721 | $12,695,672 | 3 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1988 | 3 | $6,913,038 | 1,196 | $5,780 | $6,913,038 | 1 | |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 5 | $3,884,611 | -44% | 1,199 | $3,240 | $10,797,649 | 2 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 7/5/2026 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $39 | 7/27/2026 | |||
| International Total | $39 | 7/27/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Michael J. Fox | Jamie Conway |
Supporting
| Kiefer Sutherland | Tad Aligash | |
| Phoebe Cates | Amanda | |
| Dianne Wiest | Mother | |
| Jason Robards, Jr. | Drunken Writer | |
| David Hyde Pierce | Bartender at fashion show | |
| Swoosie Kurtz | Megan | |
| Reni Santoni | Additional Voices | |
| Kelly Lynch | Elaine | |
| Frances Sternhagen | Clara | |
| Tracy Pollan | Vicky | |
| John Houseman | Mr. Vogel | |
| William Hickey | Ferret Man |
Production and Technical Credits
| James Bridges | Director | |
| Jay McInerney | Screenwriter | |
| Jay McInerney | Story Creator |
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: | $5,126,791 (31.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 3.14 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $25,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.6 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,196 opening theaters/1,199 max. theaters, 2.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $44,354,122 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | April 1st, 1988 (Wide) by United Artists |
| International Releases: | July 5th, 2026 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 5th, 2003 by Fox Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 108 minutes |
| Geographical setting: | New York City |
| Plot point: | Addiction, Depression, Dysfunctional Family, Fired, Relationships Gone Wrong, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Source material: | Novel or Other Work Adapted by Author |
| Subgenre: | Life Drama |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Mirage |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1988 | 3 | $5,126,791 | 1,196 | $4,287 | $5,126,791 | 1 | |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 5 | $3,087,063 | -40% | 1,199 | $2,575 | $10,000,101 | 2 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 10 | $1,898,023 | -39% | 1,103 | $1,721 | $12,695,672 | 3 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1988 | 3 | $6,913,038 | 1,196 | $5,780 | $6,913,038 | 1 | |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 5 | $3,884,611 | -44% | 1,199 | $3,240 | $10,797,649 | 2 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 7/5/2026 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $39 | 7/27/2026 | |||
| International Total | $39 | 7/27/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Michael J. Fox | Jamie Conway |
Supporting
| Kiefer Sutherland | Tad Aligash | |
| Phoebe Cates | Amanda | |
| Dianne Wiest | Mother | |
| Jason Robards, Jr. | Drunken Writer | |
| David Hyde Pierce | Bartender at fashion show | |
| Swoosie Kurtz | Megan | |
| Reni Santoni | Additional Voices | |
| Kelly Lynch | Elaine | |
| Frances Sternhagen | Clara | |
| Tracy Pollan | Vicky | |
| John Houseman | Mr. Vogel | |
| William Hickey | Ferret Man |
Production and Technical Credits
| James Bridges | Director | |
| Jay McInerney | Screenwriter | |
| Jay McInerney | Story Creator |
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.