Chariots of Fire (1981)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $61,558,162 | Details |
| International Box Office | $365,914 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $61,924,076 | |
| OpusData ID: 9260100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $68,907 (0.1% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 17.92 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 99.4% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $5,500,000 (worldwide box office is 11.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 3 opening theaters/810 max. theaters, 15.4 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $237,423,818 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | September 25th, 1981 (Limited) by Warner Bros. |
| International Releases: | March 31st, 1981 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
June 16th, 2016 (Wide) (South Korea) July 26th, 2024 (Limited) (Re-release) (United Kingdom) |
| Video Release: | August 11th, 1982 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 125 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1982 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Award win: | Oscars Best Picture Winner |
| Plot point: | Biography, Miscellaneous Sports, Religious |
| Social setting: | Olympics |
| Subgenre: | Biographical Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1920s |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Dramatization |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Allied Stars Ltd., Enigma Productions |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 1981 | 17 | $68,907 | 3 | $22,969 | $68,907 | 1 | |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 14 | $92,639 | +34% | 3 | $30,880 | $198,650 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 12 | $117,083 | +26% | 6 | $19,514 | $607,253 | 3 |
| Oct 16, 1981 | 19 | $119,695 | +2% | 6 | $19,949 | $764,983 | 4 |
| Oct 30, 1981 | 15 | $174,508 | 11 | $15,864 | $1,217,032 | 6 | |
| Nov 6, 1981 | 13 | $199,730 | +14% | 11 | $18,157 | $1,501,442 | 7 |
| Nov 13, 1981 | 17 | $189,720 | -5% | 11 | $17,247 | $1,789,851 | 8 |
| Nov 20, 1981 | 10 | $175,821 | -7% | 11 | $15,984 | $2,033,937 | 9 |
| Nov 27, 1981 | 8 | $230,393 | +31% | 11 | $20,945 | $2,363,447 | 10 |
| Dec 4, 1981 | 12 | $133,092 | -42% | 11 | $12,099 | $2,550,409 | 11 |
| Jan 1, 1982 | 15 | $418,457 | 35 | $11,956 | $2,770,216 | 15 | |
| Jan 8, 1982 | 13 | $331,010 | -21% | 34 | $9,736 | $6,772,530 | 16 |
| Jan 15, 1982 | 15 | $359,516 | +9% | 36 | $9,987 | $7,275,538 | 17 |
| Jan 22, 1982 | 16 | $259,453 | -28% | 36 | $7,207 | $7,653,787 | 18 |
| Jan 29, 1982 | 16 | $476,605 | +84% | 70 | $6,809 | $8,242,117 | 19 |
| Feb 5, 1982 | 5 | $1,669,582 | +250% | 283 | $5,900 | $10,065,998 | 20 |
| Feb 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,224,865 | +33% | 292 | $7,619 | $12,828,504 | 21 |
| Feb 19, 1982 | 4 | $1,689,149 | -24% | 293 | $5,765 | $15,009,136 | 22 |
| Feb 26, 1982 | 4 | $1,636,721 | -3% | 293 | $5,586 | $17,223,538 | 23 |
| Mar 5, 1982 | 2 | $2,229,501 | +36% | 442 | $5,044 | $19,928,538 | 24 |
| Mar 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,019,965 | -9% | 447 | $4,519 | $22,740,024 | 25 |
| Mar 19, 1982 | 7 | $1,826,591 | -10% | 435 | $4,199 | $25,321,748 | 26 |
| Mar 26, 1982 | 7 | $1,815,532 | -1% | 422 | $4,302 | $28,120,829 | 27 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | 5 | $3,280,675 | +81% | 553 | $5,933 | $32,611,859 | 28 |
| Apr 9, 1982 | 3 | $3,434,399 | +5% | 753 | $4,561 | $37,585,949 | 29 |
| Apr 16, 1982 | 3 | $2,811,351 | -18% | 810 | $3,471 | $41,882,609 | 30 |
| Apr 23, 1982 | 3 | $2,085,480 | -26% | 805 | $2,591 | $44,967,852 | 31 |
| Apr 30, 1982 | 5 | $1,668,771 | -20% | 798 | $2,091 | $47,412,275 | 32 |
| May 7, 1982 | 4 | $1,751,755 | +5% | 758 | $2,311 | $49,806,653 | 33 |
| May 14, 1982 | 5 | $1,378,032 | -21% | 747 | $1,845 | $51,851,373 | 34 |
| May 21, 1982 | 7 | $1,291,793 | -6% | 660 | $1,957 | $53,704,854 | 35 |
| May 28, 1982 | 8 | $1,736,022 | +34% | 653 | $2,659 | $55,994,257 | 36 |
| Jun 4, 1982 | 11 | $912,404 | -47% | 592 | $1,541 | $57,282,829 | 37 |
| Jun 11, 1982 | 14 | $649,362 | -29% | 501 | $1,296 | $58,330,748 | 38 |
| Jun 18, 1982 | 15 | $492,830 | -24% | 462 | $1,067 | $59,198,180 | 39 |
| Jun 25, 1982 | 17 | $377,647 | -23% | 320 | $1,180 | $59,896,912 | 40 |
| Jul 2, 1982 | 15 | $462,382 | +22% | 322 | $1,436 | $60,585,110 | 41 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | 16 | $355,233 | -23% | 335 | $1,060 | $61,102,884 | 42 |
| Jul 16, 1982 | 21 | $231,626 | -35% | 236 | $981 | $61,558,162 | 43 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 1981 | 11 | $106,011 | 3 | $35,337 | $106,011 | 1 | |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 8 | $384,159 | +262% | 3 | $128,053 | $490,170 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 12 | $155,118 | -60% | 6 | $25,853 | $645,288 | 3 |
| Oct 30, 1981 | 10 | $259,188 | 11 | $23,563 | $904,476 | 6 | |
| Nov 6, 1981 | 11 | $298,419 | +15% | 11 | $27,129 | $1,202,895 | 7 |
| Nov 13, 1981 | 10 | $257,985 | -14% | 11 | $23,453 | $1,460,880 | 8 |
| Nov 20, 1981 | 8 | $274,938 | +7% | 11 | $24,994 | $1,735,818 | 9 |
| Nov 27, 1981 | 7 | $284,263 | +3% | 11 | $25,842 | $2,020,081 | 10 |
| Jan 1, 1982 | 9 | $4,421,439 | 35 | $126,327 | $6,441,520 | 15 | |
| Jan 8, 1982 | 13 | $474,502 | -89% | 34 | $13,956 | $6,916,022 | 16 |
| Jan 15, 1982 | 11 | $478,312 | +1% | 36 | $13,286 | $7,394,334 | 17 |
| Jan 22, 1982 | 13 | $371,178 | -22% | 36 | $10,311 | $7,765,512 | 18 |
| Jan 29, 1982 | 15 | $630,904 | +70% | 70 | $9,013 | $8,396,416 | 19 |
| Feb 5, 1982 | 3 | $2,207,223 | +250% | 283 | $7,799 | $10,603,639 | 20 |
| Feb 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,716,348 | +23% | 292 | $9,303 | $13,319,987 | 21 |
| Feb 19, 1982 | 4 | $2,266,830 | -17% | 293 | $7,737 | $15,586,817 | 22 |
| Feb 26, 1982 | 4 | $2,112,220 | -7% | 293 | $7,209 | $17,699,037 | 23 |
| Mar 5, 1982 | 2 | $3,021,022 | +43% | 442 | $6,835 | $20,720,059 | 24 |
| Mar 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,775,098 | -8% | 447 | $6,208 | $23,495,157 | 25 |
| Mar 19, 1982 | 6 | $2,810,140 | +1% | 435 | $6,460 | $26,305,297 | 26 |
| Mar 26, 1982 | 4 | $3,025,887 | +8% | 422 | $7,170 | $29,331,184 | 27 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | 5 | $4,820,366 | +59% | 553 | $8,717 | $34,151,550 | 28 |
| Apr 9, 1982 | 4 | $4,919,708 | +2% | 753 | $6,533 | $39,071,258 | 29 |
| Apr 16, 1982 | 3 | $3,811,114 | -23% | 810 | $4,705 | $42,882,372 | 30 |
| Apr 23, 1982 | 3 | $2,861,132 | -25% | 805 | $3,554 | $45,743,504 | 31 |
| Apr 30, 1982 | 3 | $2,311,394 | -19% | 798 | $2,896 | $48,054,898 | 32 |
| May 7, 1982 | 2 | $2,418,443 | +5% | 758 | $3,191 | $50,473,341 | 33 |
| May 14, 1982 | 3 | $1,939,720 | -20% | 747 | $2,597 | $52,413,061 | 34 |
| May 21, 1982 | 5 | $1,845,174 | -5% | 660 | $2,796 | $54,258,235 | 35 |
| May 28, 1982 | 7 | $2,112,190 | +14% | 653 | $3,235 | $56,370,425 | 36 |
| Jun 4, 1982 | 10 | $1,310,961 | -38% | 592 | $2,214 | $57,681,386 | 37 |
| Jun 11, 1982 | 13 | $1,023,964 | -22% | 501 | $2,044 | $58,705,350 | 38 |
| Jun 18, 1982 | 12 | $813,915 | -21% | 462 | $1,762 | $59,519,265 | 39 |
| Jun 25, 1982 | 14 | $603,463 | -26% | 320 | $1,886 | $60,122,728 | 40 |
| Jul 2, 1982 | 14 | $624,923 | +4% | 322 | $1,941 | $60,747,651 | 41 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | 15 | $578,885 | -7% | 335 | $1,728 | $61,326,536 | 42 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 6/16/2016 | $43,430 | 81 | 81 | 265 | $352,345 | 11/4/2020 | |||
| United Kingdom | 3/31/1981 | $3,881 | 16 | 16 | 21 | $13,569 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| International Total | $365,914 | 4/4/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| Alice Krige | Sybil Gordon | |
| Richard Griffiths | Head Porter - Caius College | |
| John Gielgud | Master of Trinity | |
| Ian Holm | Sam Mussabini | |
| Stephen Fry | Artist | |
| Kenneth Branagh | Artist |
Production and Technical Credits
| Hugh Hudson | Director | |
| Colin Welland | Screenwriter |
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: | $68,907 (0.1% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 17.92 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 99.4% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $5,500,000 (worldwide box office is 11.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 3 opening theaters/810 max. theaters, 15.4 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $237,423,818 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | September 25th, 1981 (Limited) by Warner Bros. |
| International Releases: | March 31st, 1981 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
June 16th, 2016 (Wide) (South Korea) July 26th, 2024 (Limited) (Re-release) (United Kingdom) |
| Video Release: | August 11th, 1982 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 125 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1982 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Award win: | Oscars Best Picture Winner |
| Plot point: | Biography, Miscellaneous Sports, Religious |
| Social setting: | Olympics |
| Subgenre: | Biographical Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1920s |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Dramatization |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Allied Stars Ltd., Enigma Productions |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 1981 | 17 | $68,907 | 3 | $22,969 | $68,907 | 1 | |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 14 | $92,639 | +34% | 3 | $30,880 | $198,650 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 12 | $117,083 | +26% | 6 | $19,514 | $607,253 | 3 |
| Oct 16, 1981 | 19 | $119,695 | +2% | 6 | $19,949 | $764,983 | 4 |
| Oct 30, 1981 | 15 | $174,508 | 11 | $15,864 | $1,217,032 | 6 | |
| Nov 6, 1981 | 13 | $199,730 | +14% | 11 | $18,157 | $1,501,442 | 7 |
| Nov 13, 1981 | 17 | $189,720 | -5% | 11 | $17,247 | $1,789,851 | 8 |
| Nov 20, 1981 | 10 | $175,821 | -7% | 11 | $15,984 | $2,033,937 | 9 |
| Nov 27, 1981 | 8 | $230,393 | +31% | 11 | $20,945 | $2,363,447 | 10 |
| Dec 4, 1981 | 12 | $133,092 | -42% | 11 | $12,099 | $2,550,409 | 11 |
| Jan 1, 1982 | 15 | $418,457 | 35 | $11,956 | $2,770,216 | 15 | |
| Jan 8, 1982 | 13 | $331,010 | -21% | 34 | $9,736 | $6,772,530 | 16 |
| Jan 15, 1982 | 15 | $359,516 | +9% | 36 | $9,987 | $7,275,538 | 17 |
| Jan 22, 1982 | 16 | $259,453 | -28% | 36 | $7,207 | $7,653,787 | 18 |
| Jan 29, 1982 | 16 | $476,605 | +84% | 70 | $6,809 | $8,242,117 | 19 |
| Feb 5, 1982 | 5 | $1,669,582 | +250% | 283 | $5,900 | $10,065,998 | 20 |
| Feb 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,224,865 | +33% | 292 | $7,619 | $12,828,504 | 21 |
| Feb 19, 1982 | 4 | $1,689,149 | -24% | 293 | $5,765 | $15,009,136 | 22 |
| Feb 26, 1982 | 4 | $1,636,721 | -3% | 293 | $5,586 | $17,223,538 | 23 |
| Mar 5, 1982 | 2 | $2,229,501 | +36% | 442 | $5,044 | $19,928,538 | 24 |
| Mar 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,019,965 | -9% | 447 | $4,519 | $22,740,024 | 25 |
| Mar 19, 1982 | 7 | $1,826,591 | -10% | 435 | $4,199 | $25,321,748 | 26 |
| Mar 26, 1982 | 7 | $1,815,532 | -1% | 422 | $4,302 | $28,120,829 | 27 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | 5 | $3,280,675 | +81% | 553 | $5,933 | $32,611,859 | 28 |
| Apr 9, 1982 | 3 | $3,434,399 | +5% | 753 | $4,561 | $37,585,949 | 29 |
| Apr 16, 1982 | 3 | $2,811,351 | -18% | 810 | $3,471 | $41,882,609 | 30 |
| Apr 23, 1982 | 3 | $2,085,480 | -26% | 805 | $2,591 | $44,967,852 | 31 |
| Apr 30, 1982 | 5 | $1,668,771 | -20% | 798 | $2,091 | $47,412,275 | 32 |
| May 7, 1982 | 4 | $1,751,755 | +5% | 758 | $2,311 | $49,806,653 | 33 |
| May 14, 1982 | 5 | $1,378,032 | -21% | 747 | $1,845 | $51,851,373 | 34 |
| May 21, 1982 | 7 | $1,291,793 | -6% | 660 | $1,957 | $53,704,854 | 35 |
| May 28, 1982 | 8 | $1,736,022 | +34% | 653 | $2,659 | $55,994,257 | 36 |
| Jun 4, 1982 | 11 | $912,404 | -47% | 592 | $1,541 | $57,282,829 | 37 |
| Jun 11, 1982 | 14 | $649,362 | -29% | 501 | $1,296 | $58,330,748 | 38 |
| Jun 18, 1982 | 15 | $492,830 | -24% | 462 | $1,067 | $59,198,180 | 39 |
| Jun 25, 1982 | 17 | $377,647 | -23% | 320 | $1,180 | $59,896,912 | 40 |
| Jul 2, 1982 | 15 | $462,382 | +22% | 322 | $1,436 | $60,585,110 | 41 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | 16 | $355,233 | -23% | 335 | $1,060 | $61,102,884 | 42 |
| Jul 16, 1982 | 21 | $231,626 | -35% | 236 | $981 | $61,558,162 | 43 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 1981 | 11 | $106,011 | 3 | $35,337 | $106,011 | 1 | |
| Oct 2, 1981 | 8 | $384,159 | +262% | 3 | $128,053 | $490,170 | 2 |
| Oct 9, 1981 | 12 | $155,118 | -60% | 6 | $25,853 | $645,288 | 3 |
| Oct 30, 1981 | 10 | $259,188 | 11 | $23,563 | $904,476 | 6 | |
| Nov 6, 1981 | 11 | $298,419 | +15% | 11 | $27,129 | $1,202,895 | 7 |
| Nov 13, 1981 | 10 | $257,985 | -14% | 11 | $23,453 | $1,460,880 | 8 |
| Nov 20, 1981 | 8 | $274,938 | +7% | 11 | $24,994 | $1,735,818 | 9 |
| Nov 27, 1981 | 7 | $284,263 | +3% | 11 | $25,842 | $2,020,081 | 10 |
| Jan 1, 1982 | 9 | $4,421,439 | 35 | $126,327 | $6,441,520 | 15 | |
| Jan 8, 1982 | 13 | $474,502 | -89% | 34 | $13,956 | $6,916,022 | 16 |
| Jan 15, 1982 | 11 | $478,312 | +1% | 36 | $13,286 | $7,394,334 | 17 |
| Jan 22, 1982 | 13 | $371,178 | -22% | 36 | $10,311 | $7,765,512 | 18 |
| Jan 29, 1982 | 15 | $630,904 | +70% | 70 | $9,013 | $8,396,416 | 19 |
| Feb 5, 1982 | 3 | $2,207,223 | +250% | 283 | $7,799 | $10,603,639 | 20 |
| Feb 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,716,348 | +23% | 292 | $9,303 | $13,319,987 | 21 |
| Feb 19, 1982 | 4 | $2,266,830 | -17% | 293 | $7,737 | $15,586,817 | 22 |
| Feb 26, 1982 | 4 | $2,112,220 | -7% | 293 | $7,209 | $17,699,037 | 23 |
| Mar 5, 1982 | 2 | $3,021,022 | +43% | 442 | $6,835 | $20,720,059 | 24 |
| Mar 12, 1982 | 4 | $2,775,098 | -8% | 447 | $6,208 | $23,495,157 | 25 |
| Mar 19, 1982 | 6 | $2,810,140 | +1% | 435 | $6,460 | $26,305,297 | 26 |
| Mar 26, 1982 | 4 | $3,025,887 | +8% | 422 | $7,170 | $29,331,184 | 27 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | 5 | $4,820,366 | +59% | 553 | $8,717 | $34,151,550 | 28 |
| Apr 9, 1982 | 4 | $4,919,708 | +2% | 753 | $6,533 | $39,071,258 | 29 |
| Apr 16, 1982 | 3 | $3,811,114 | -23% | 810 | $4,705 | $42,882,372 | 30 |
| Apr 23, 1982 | 3 | $2,861,132 | -25% | 805 | $3,554 | $45,743,504 | 31 |
| Apr 30, 1982 | 3 | $2,311,394 | -19% | 798 | $2,896 | $48,054,898 | 32 |
| May 7, 1982 | 2 | $2,418,443 | +5% | 758 | $3,191 | $50,473,341 | 33 |
| May 14, 1982 | 3 | $1,939,720 | -20% | 747 | $2,597 | $52,413,061 | 34 |
| May 21, 1982 | 5 | $1,845,174 | -5% | 660 | $2,796 | $54,258,235 | 35 |
| May 28, 1982 | 7 | $2,112,190 | +14% | 653 | $3,235 | $56,370,425 | 36 |
| Jun 4, 1982 | 10 | $1,310,961 | -38% | 592 | $2,214 | $57,681,386 | 37 |
| Jun 11, 1982 | 13 | $1,023,964 | -22% | 501 | $2,044 | $58,705,350 | 38 |
| Jun 18, 1982 | 12 | $813,915 | -21% | 462 | $1,762 | $59,519,265 | 39 |
| Jun 25, 1982 | 14 | $603,463 | -26% | 320 | $1,886 | $60,122,728 | 40 |
| Jul 2, 1982 | 14 | $624,923 | +4% | 322 | $1,941 | $60,747,651 | 41 |
| Jul 9, 1982 | 15 | $578,885 | -7% | 335 | $1,728 | $61,326,536 | 42 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 6/16/2016 | $43,430 | 81 | 81 | 265 | $352,345 | 11/4/2020 | |||
| United Kingdom | 3/31/1981 | $3,881 | 16 | 16 | 21 | $13,569 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| International Total | $365,914 | 4/4/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| Alice Krige | Sybil Gordon | |
| Richard Griffiths | Head Porter - Caius College | |
| John Gielgud | Master of Trinity | |
| Ian Holm | Sam Mussabini | |
| Stephen Fry | Artist | |
| Kenneth Branagh | Artist |
Production and Technical Credits
| Hugh Hudson | Director | |
| Colin Welland | Screenwriter |
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.