The Color Purple (1985)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $94,029,472 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 4650100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $1,710,333 (1.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 15.25 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 192 opening theaters/1,109 max. theaters, 16.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $288,562,695 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros. February 23rd, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events |
| Video Release: | March 25th, 1997 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 152 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Color Purple |
| Award nomination: | 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Plot point: | African Americans, Coming of Age |
| Subgenre: | Historical Drama |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Historical Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Amblin Entertainment |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 1985 | 8 | $1,710,333 | 192 | $8,908 | $1,775,828 | 1 | |
| Dec 27, 1985 | 7 | $3,162,958 | +85% | 202 | $15,658 | $7,108,801 | 2 |
| Jan 3, 1986 | 7 | $3,438,463 | +9% | 209 | $16,452 | $13,917,322 | 3 |
| Jan 10, 1986 | 5 | $3,126,757 | -9% | 561 | $5,574 | $18,810,736 | 4 |
| Jan 17, 1986 | 2 | $5,742,903 | +84% | 561 | $10,237 | $26,148,105 | 5 |
| Jan 24, 1986 | 1 | $4,412,456 | -23% | 561 | $7,865 | $33,332,839 | 6 |
| Jan 31, 1986 | 2 | $4,219,418 | -4% | 561 | $7,521 | $39,203,192 | 7 |
| Feb 7, 1986 | 2 | $5,330,126 | +26% | 1,109 | $4,806 | $45,889,128 | 8 |
| Feb 14, 1986 | 2 | $6,165,314 | +16% | 1,109 | $5,559 | $54,125,302 | 9 |
| Feb 21, 1986 | 3 | $4,091,653 | -34% | 1,109 | $3,689 | $59,534,565 | 10 |
| Feb 28, 1986 | 4 | $3,557,053 | -13% | 1,109 | $3,207 | $64,383,696 | 11 |
| Mar 7, 1986 | 4 | $3,636,677 | +2% | 1,096 | $3,318 | $69,260,725 | 12 |
| Mar 14, 1986 | 3 | $3,006,827 | -17% | 1,107 | $2,716 | $73,632,831 | 13 |
| Mar 21, 1986 | 4 | $2,865,833 | -5% | 1,082 | $2,649 | $77,592,315 | 14 |
| Mar 28, 1986 | 6 | $2,004,556 | -30% | 1,046 | $1,916 | $80,962,190 | 15 |
| Apr 4, 1986 | 5 | $2,158,733 | +8% | 1,014 | $2,129 | $84,159,813 | 16 |
| Apr 11, 1986 | 8 | $1,527,233 | -29% | 946 | $1,614 | $86,407,917 | 17 |
| Apr 18, 1986 | 8 | $1,200,069 | -21% | 890 | $1,348 | $88,220,216 | 18 |
| Apr 25, 1986 | 10 | $1,011,530 | -16% | 871 | $1,161 | $89,784,334 | 19 |
| May 2, 1986 | 12 | $728,794 | -28% | 745 | $978 | $90,962,921 | 20 |
| May 9, 1986 | 16 | $518,242 | -29% | 586 | $884 | $91,782,203 | 21 |
| May 16, 1986 | 16 | $446,296 | -14% | 555 | $804 | $92,484,046 | 22 |
| May 23, 1986 | 14 | $439,528 | -2% | 442 | $994 | $93,150,482 | 23 |
| May 30, 1986 | 16 | $315,744 | -28% | 414 | $763 | $93,589,701 | 24 |
| Jun 6, 1986 | 14 | $263,332 | -17% | 311 | $847 | $94,029,472 | 25 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 1985 | 8 | $3,880,348 | 192 | $20,210 | $3,945,843 | 2 | |
| Dec 27, 1985 | 7 | $6,533,016 | +68% | 202 | $32,342 | $10,478,859 | 3 |
| Jan 3, 1986 | 5 | $5,205,120 | -20% | 209 | $24,905 | $15,683,979 | 4 |
| Jan 10, 1986 | 4 | $4,721,223 | -9% | 561 | $8,416 | $20,405,202 | 5 |
| Jan 17, 1986 | 1 | $8,515,181 | +80% | 561 | $15,179 | $28,920,383 | 6 |
| Jan 24, 1986 | 1 | $6,063,391 | -29% | 561 | $10,808 | $34,983,774 | 7 |
| Jan 31, 1986 | 2 | $5,575,228 | -8% | 561 | $9,938 | $40,559,002 | 8 |
| Feb 7, 1986 | 2 | $7,400,986 | +33% | 1,109 | $6,674 | $47,959,988 | 9 |
| Feb 14, 1986 | 2 | $7,482,924 | +1% | 1,109 | $6,747 | $55,442,912 | 10 |
| Feb 21, 1986 | 2 | $5,383,731 | -28% | 1,109 | $4,855 | $60,826,643 | 11 |
| Feb 28, 1986 | 4 | $4,797,405 | -11% | 1,109 | $4,326 | $65,624,048 | 12 |
| Mar 7, 1986 | 2 | $5,001,956 | +4% | 1,096 | $4,564 | $70,626,004 | 13 |
| Mar 14, 1986 | 3 | $4,100,478 | -18% | 1,107 | $3,704 | $74,726,482 | 14 |
| Mar 21, 1986 | 4 | $4,231,152 | +3% | 1,082 | $3,910 | $78,957,634 | 15 |
| Mar 28, 1986 | 6 | $3,043,446 | -28% | 1,046 | $2,910 | $82,001,080 | 16 |
| Apr 4, 1986 | 5 | $2,879,604 | -5% | 1,014 | $2,840 | $84,880,684 | 17 |
| Apr 11, 1986 | 5 | $2,139,463 | -26% | 946 | $2,262 | $87,020,147 | 18 |
| Apr 18, 1986 | 7 | $1,752,657 | -18% | 890 | $1,969 | $88,772,804 | 19 |
| Apr 25, 1986 | 9 | $1,461,323 | -17% | 871 | $1,678 | $90,234,127 | 20 |
| May 2, 1986 | 10 | $1,029,834 | -30% | 745 | $1,382 | $91,263,961 | 21 |
| May 9, 1986 | 13 | $773,789 | -25% | 586 | $1,320 | $92,037,750 | 22 |
Supporting
| Danny Glover | Albert | |
| Adolph Caesar | Old Mister |
Leading
| Margaret Avery | Shug Avery |
Supporting
| Rae Dawn Chong | Squeak | |
| Whoopi Goldberg | Celie | |
| Oprah Winfrey | Sofia | |
| Willard Pugh | Harpo | |
| Akosua Busia | Nettie | |
| Dana Ivey | Miss Millie | |
| Desreta Jackson | Young Celie | |
| Laurence Fishburne | Swain | |
| Carl Anderson | Reverend Samuel | |
| John Patton, Jr | Preacher | |
| Leonard Jackson | Pa | |
| Bennet Guillory | Grady | |
| Susan Beaubian | Corrine | |
| James Tillis | Buster | |
| Phillip Strong | Mayor | |
| Peto Kinsaka | Adam | |
| Lelo Masamba | Olivia | |
| Margaret Freeman | Odessa | |
| Howard Starr | Young Harpo | |
| Daphanie Oliver | Young Olivia | |
| Jadili Johnson | Young Adam | |
| Lillian Njoki Distefano | Young Tashi | |
| Donna Buie | Daisy | |
| Leon Rippy | Store Clerk | |
| John R. Hart | Mailman | |
| David Thomas | Road Gang Leader | |
| Carrie Murray | Loretta | |
| Juliet Poe | Church Sister | |
| Katie Simon | Church Sister | |
| Ethel Taylor | Church Sister | |
| Marcus Covington | Boy | |
| Marcus Liles | Boo | |
| April Myers | Emma | |
| Maurice Moore | Child | |
| Lechanda Latharp | Child | |
| Drew Bundini Brown | Jook Joint Patron | |
| Arnold Turner | Jook Joint Patron | |
| Jeris Poindexter | Jook Joint Patron | |
| James Hawthorne | Jook Joint Patron |
Production and Technical Credits
| Steven Spielberg | Director | |
| Steven Spielberg | Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Producer | |
| Quincy Jones | Producer | |
| Jon Peters | Executive Producer | |
| Peter Guber | Executive Producer | |
| Menno Meyjes | Screenwriter | |
| Alice Walker | Story Creator | |
| Quincy Jones | Composer | |
| Michael Kahn | Editor | |
| J. Michael Riva | Production Designer | |
| Allen Daviau | Director of Photography | |
| Carol Isenberg | Associate Producer | |
| Pat Kehoe | Assistant Director | |
| Richard Alexander Wells | Assistant Director | |
| Frank Marshall | Second Unit Director | |
| Gerald R. Molen | Unit Production Manager | |
| Robert W. Welch | Art Director | |
| Linda Descenna | Set Decorator | |
| Simon Trevor | Second Unit Camera | |
| Aggie Guerard Rodgers | Costume Designer | |
| Francine Jamison* | Costume Supervisor | |
| Willie Burton | Sound Mixer | |
| Robert Knudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Robert J. Glass | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Don Digirolamo | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Richard L. Anderson | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Michael J. Benavente | Sound Editor | |
| James Christopher | Sound Editor | |
| Teresa Eckton | Sound Editor | |
| Sherman Waze | Sound Editor | |
| Burton M. Weinstein | Sound Editor | |
| David A. Whittaker | Sound Editor | |
| Else Blangsted | Supervising Music Editor | |
| Jim Flamberg | Supervising Music Editor | |
| David Marshall | Music Editor | |
| Tom Kramer | Music Supervisor | |
| Ken Chase | Makeup | |
| Robert L. Stevenson | Hairstylist | |
| Tom Bahler | Music Supervisor | |
| Reuben Cannon | Casting Director | |
| Greg Elam | Stunt Coordinator |
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: | $1,710,333 (1.8% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 15.25 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 192 opening theaters/1,109 max. theaters, 16.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $288,562,695 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros. February 23rd, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events |
| Video Release: | March 25th, 1997 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 152 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Color Purple |
| Award nomination: | 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Plot point: | African Americans, Coming of Age |
| Subgenre: | Historical Drama |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Historical Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Amblin Entertainment |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 1985 | 8 | $1,710,333 | 192 | $8,908 | $1,775,828 | 1 | |
| Dec 27, 1985 | 7 | $3,162,958 | +85% | 202 | $15,658 | $7,108,801 | 2 |
| Jan 3, 1986 | 7 | $3,438,463 | +9% | 209 | $16,452 | $13,917,322 | 3 |
| Jan 10, 1986 | 5 | $3,126,757 | -9% | 561 | $5,574 | $18,810,736 | 4 |
| Jan 17, 1986 | 2 | $5,742,903 | +84% | 561 | $10,237 | $26,148,105 | 5 |
| Jan 24, 1986 | 1 | $4,412,456 | -23% | 561 | $7,865 | $33,332,839 | 6 |
| Jan 31, 1986 | 2 | $4,219,418 | -4% | 561 | $7,521 | $39,203,192 | 7 |
| Feb 7, 1986 | 2 | $5,330,126 | +26% | 1,109 | $4,806 | $45,889,128 | 8 |
| Feb 14, 1986 | 2 | $6,165,314 | +16% | 1,109 | $5,559 | $54,125,302 | 9 |
| Feb 21, 1986 | 3 | $4,091,653 | -34% | 1,109 | $3,689 | $59,534,565 | 10 |
| Feb 28, 1986 | 4 | $3,557,053 | -13% | 1,109 | $3,207 | $64,383,696 | 11 |
| Mar 7, 1986 | 4 | $3,636,677 | +2% | 1,096 | $3,318 | $69,260,725 | 12 |
| Mar 14, 1986 | 3 | $3,006,827 | -17% | 1,107 | $2,716 | $73,632,831 | 13 |
| Mar 21, 1986 | 4 | $2,865,833 | -5% | 1,082 | $2,649 | $77,592,315 | 14 |
| Mar 28, 1986 | 6 | $2,004,556 | -30% | 1,046 | $1,916 | $80,962,190 | 15 |
| Apr 4, 1986 | 5 | $2,158,733 | +8% | 1,014 | $2,129 | $84,159,813 | 16 |
| Apr 11, 1986 | 8 | $1,527,233 | -29% | 946 | $1,614 | $86,407,917 | 17 |
| Apr 18, 1986 | 8 | $1,200,069 | -21% | 890 | $1,348 | $88,220,216 | 18 |
| Apr 25, 1986 | 10 | $1,011,530 | -16% | 871 | $1,161 | $89,784,334 | 19 |
| May 2, 1986 | 12 | $728,794 | -28% | 745 | $978 | $90,962,921 | 20 |
| May 9, 1986 | 16 | $518,242 | -29% | 586 | $884 | $91,782,203 | 21 |
| May 16, 1986 | 16 | $446,296 | -14% | 555 | $804 | $92,484,046 | 22 |
| May 23, 1986 | 14 | $439,528 | -2% | 442 | $994 | $93,150,482 | 23 |
| May 30, 1986 | 16 | $315,744 | -28% | 414 | $763 | $93,589,701 | 24 |
| Jun 6, 1986 | 14 | $263,332 | -17% | 311 | $847 | $94,029,472 | 25 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 1985 | 8 | $3,880,348 | 192 | $20,210 | $3,945,843 | 2 | |
| Dec 27, 1985 | 7 | $6,533,016 | +68% | 202 | $32,342 | $10,478,859 | 3 |
| Jan 3, 1986 | 5 | $5,205,120 | -20% | 209 | $24,905 | $15,683,979 | 4 |
| Jan 10, 1986 | 4 | $4,721,223 | -9% | 561 | $8,416 | $20,405,202 | 5 |
| Jan 17, 1986 | 1 | $8,515,181 | +80% | 561 | $15,179 | $28,920,383 | 6 |
| Jan 24, 1986 | 1 | $6,063,391 | -29% | 561 | $10,808 | $34,983,774 | 7 |
| Jan 31, 1986 | 2 | $5,575,228 | -8% | 561 | $9,938 | $40,559,002 | 8 |
| Feb 7, 1986 | 2 | $7,400,986 | +33% | 1,109 | $6,674 | $47,959,988 | 9 |
| Feb 14, 1986 | 2 | $7,482,924 | +1% | 1,109 | $6,747 | $55,442,912 | 10 |
| Feb 21, 1986 | 2 | $5,383,731 | -28% | 1,109 | $4,855 | $60,826,643 | 11 |
| Feb 28, 1986 | 4 | $4,797,405 | -11% | 1,109 | $4,326 | $65,624,048 | 12 |
| Mar 7, 1986 | 2 | $5,001,956 | +4% | 1,096 | $4,564 | $70,626,004 | 13 |
| Mar 14, 1986 | 3 | $4,100,478 | -18% | 1,107 | $3,704 | $74,726,482 | 14 |
| Mar 21, 1986 | 4 | $4,231,152 | +3% | 1,082 | $3,910 | $78,957,634 | 15 |
| Mar 28, 1986 | 6 | $3,043,446 | -28% | 1,046 | $2,910 | $82,001,080 | 16 |
| Apr 4, 1986 | 5 | $2,879,604 | -5% | 1,014 | $2,840 | $84,880,684 | 17 |
| Apr 11, 1986 | 5 | $2,139,463 | -26% | 946 | $2,262 | $87,020,147 | 18 |
| Apr 18, 1986 | 7 | $1,752,657 | -18% | 890 | $1,969 | $88,772,804 | 19 |
| Apr 25, 1986 | 9 | $1,461,323 | -17% | 871 | $1,678 | $90,234,127 | 20 |
| May 2, 1986 | 10 | $1,029,834 | -30% | 745 | $1,382 | $91,263,961 | 21 |
| May 9, 1986 | 13 | $773,789 | -25% | 586 | $1,320 | $92,037,750 | 22 |
Supporting
| Danny Glover | Albert | |
| Adolph Caesar | Old Mister |
Leading
| Margaret Avery | Shug Avery |
Supporting
| Rae Dawn Chong | Squeak | |
| Whoopi Goldberg | Celie | |
| Oprah Winfrey | Sofia | |
| Willard Pugh | Harpo | |
| Akosua Busia | Nettie | |
| Dana Ivey | Miss Millie | |
| Desreta Jackson | Young Celie | |
| Laurence Fishburne | Swain | |
| Carl Anderson | Reverend Samuel | |
| John Patton, Jr | Preacher | |
| Leonard Jackson | Pa | |
| Bennet Guillory | Grady | |
| Susan Beaubian | Corrine | |
| James Tillis | Buster | |
| Phillip Strong | Mayor | |
| Peto Kinsaka | Adam | |
| Lelo Masamba | Olivia | |
| Margaret Freeman | Odessa | |
| Howard Starr | Young Harpo | |
| Daphanie Oliver | Young Olivia | |
| Jadili Johnson | Young Adam | |
| Lillian Njoki Distefano | Young Tashi | |
| Donna Buie | Daisy | |
| Leon Rippy | Store Clerk | |
| John R. Hart | Mailman | |
| David Thomas | Road Gang Leader | |
| Carrie Murray | Loretta | |
| Juliet Poe | Church Sister | |
| Katie Simon | Church Sister | |
| Ethel Taylor | Church Sister | |
| Marcus Covington | Boy | |
| Marcus Liles | Boo | |
| April Myers | Emma | |
| Maurice Moore | Child | |
| Lechanda Latharp | Child | |
| Drew Bundini Brown | Jook Joint Patron | |
| Arnold Turner | Jook Joint Patron | |
| Jeris Poindexter | Jook Joint Patron | |
| James Hawthorne | Jook Joint Patron |
Production and Technical Credits
| Steven Spielberg | Director | |
| Steven Spielberg | Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Producer | |
| Quincy Jones | Producer | |
| Jon Peters | Executive Producer | |
| Peter Guber | Executive Producer | |
| Menno Meyjes | Screenwriter | |
| Alice Walker | Story Creator | |
| Quincy Jones | Composer | |
| Michael Kahn | Editor | |
| J. Michael Riva | Production Designer | |
| Allen Daviau | Director of Photography | |
| Carol Isenberg | Associate Producer | |
| Pat Kehoe | Assistant Director | |
| Richard Alexander Wells | Assistant Director | |
| Frank Marshall | Second Unit Director | |
| Gerald R. Molen | Unit Production Manager | |
| Robert W. Welch | Art Director | |
| Linda Descenna | Set Decorator | |
| Simon Trevor | Second Unit Camera | |
| Aggie Guerard Rodgers | Costume Designer | |
| Francine Jamison* | Costume Supervisor | |
| Willie Burton | Sound Mixer | |
| Robert Knudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Robert J. Glass | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Don Digirolamo | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Richard L. Anderson | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Michael J. Benavente | Sound Editor | |
| James Christopher | Sound Editor | |
| Teresa Eckton | Sound Editor | |
| Sherman Waze | Sound Editor | |
| Burton M. Weinstein | Sound Editor | |
| David A. Whittaker | Sound Editor | |
| Else Blangsted | Supervising Music Editor | |
| Jim Flamberg | Supervising Music Editor | |
| David Marshall | Music Editor | |
| Tom Kramer | Music Supervisor | |
| Ken Chase | Makeup | |
| Robert L. Stevenson | Hairstylist | |
| Tom Bahler | Music Supervisor | |
| Reuben Cannon | Casting Director | |
| Greg Elam | Stunt Coordinator |
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.