Empire of the Sun (1987)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $22,238,696 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 23450100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $1,314,509 (5.9% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 6.99 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 225 opening theaters/673 max. theaters, 3.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $63,564,258 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | December 9th, 1987 (Limited) by Warner Bros. |
| Video Release: | April 13th, 1993 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 150 minutes |
| Geographical setting: | Japan, Shanghai |
| Plot point: | Coming of Age, Missing Child, POW |
| Social setting: | Family Reunion, World War II |
| Subgenre: | Coming-of-Age Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1940s |
| 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 11, 1987 | 9 | $1,314,509 | 225 | $5,842 | $1,387,297 | 1 | |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 9 | $2,914,509 | 673 | $4,331 | $6,610,192 | 3 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 10 | $3,183,207 | +9% | 673 | $4,730 | $11,977,789 | 4 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 10 | $1,822,927 | -43% | 673 | $2,709 | $14,574,930 | 5 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 16 | $770,000 | 409 | $1,883 | $17,398,531 | 7 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 1987 | 10 | $5,098,899 | 673 | $7,576 | $8,794,582 | 4 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 10 | $3,957,421 | -22% | 673 | $5,880 | $12,752,003 | 5 |
Supporting
| John Malkovich | Basie | |
| Miranda Richardson | Mrs. Victor | |
| Nigel Havers | Dr. Rawlins | |
| Christian Bale | Jim | |
| Joe Pantoliano | Frank Demarest | |
| Leslie Phillips | Maxton | |
| Robert Stephens | Mr. Lockwood | |
| Paul McGann | Lt. Price | |
| David Neidorf | Tiptree | |
| Ralph Seymour | Cohen | |
| Ben Stiller | Dainty | |
| Masato Ibu | Sgt. Nagata | |
| Emily Richards | Jim's Mother | |
| Rupert Frazer | Jim's Father | |
| Peter Gale | Mr. Victor | |
| Takatoro Kataoka | Kamikaze Boy Pilot | |
| Zhai Nai She | Yang | |
| Guts Ishimatsu | Sgt Uchida | |
| Emma Piper | Amy Matthews | |
| James Walker | Mr. Radik | |
| Jack Dearlove | Singing Prisoner | |
| Anna Turner | Mrs. Gilmour | |
| Ann Castle | Mrs. Phillips | |
| Yvonne Gilan | Mrs. Lockwood | |
| Ralph Michael | Mr. Partridge | |
| Sybil Maas | Mrs. Hug | |
| Eric Flynn | British Prisoner | |
| James Greene | British Prisoner | |
| Simon Harrison | British Prisoner | |
| Barrie Houghton | British Prisoner | |
| Paula Hamilton | British Prisoner | |
| Thea Ranft | British Prisoner | |
| Tony Boncza | British Prisoner | |
| Nigel Leach | British Prisoner | |
| Sheridan Forbes | British Prisoner | |
| Peter Copley | British Prisoner | |
| Barbara Bolton | British Prisoner | |
| Francesca Longrigg | British Prisoner | |
| Samantha Warden | British Prisoner | |
| Kieron Jecchinis | American Prisoner | |
| Michael Crossman | American Prisoner | |
| Gary Parker | American Prisoner | |
| Ray Charleson | American Prisoner | |
| Burt Kwouk | Mr. Chen | |
| Tom Danaher | Col. Marshall | |
| Kong Guo-Jun | Chinese Youth | |
| Takao Yamada | Japanese Truck Driver | |
| Hiro Arai | Japanese Sergeant, Air Field | |
| Marc de Jong | Frenchman | |
| Susan Leong | Amah | |
| Nicholas Dastor | Paul | |
| Edith Platten | Paul's Sister | |
| Shirley Chantrell | Chinese Cook at Detention Centre | |
| John Moore | Mr. Pym | |
| Ann Queensberry | Mrs. Pym | |
| Sylvia Marriott | Mrs. Partridge | |
| Frank Duncan | Mrs. Hug's Father | |
| Ronald Eng | Mr. Chen's Aide | |
| Za Chuan Ce | Shopkeeper | |
| Shi Rui Qing | Shopkeeper | |
| Lu Ye | Merchant | |
| Guo Xue Liang | Merchant | |
| Ge Yan Zhao | Merchant |
Production and Technical Credits
| Steven Spielberg | Director | |
| J.G. Ballard | Story Creator | |
| Tom Stoppard | Screenwriter | |
| Steven Spielberg | Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Producer | |
| Robert Shipiro | Executive Producer | |
| Norman Reynolds | Production Designer | |
| Michael Kahn | Editor | |
| Allen Daviau | Director of Photography | |
| John Williams | Composer | |
| Chris Kenny | Associate Producer | |
| David Tomblin | Assistant Director | |
| Frank Marshall | Second Unit Director | |
| Ted Morley | Production Manager | |
| Charles Bishop | Supervising Art Director | |
| Maurice Fowler | Supervising Art Director | |
| Norman Dorme | Supervising Art Director | |
| Frederick Hole | Art Director | |
| Harry Cordwell | Set Decorator | |
| Michael D. Ford* | Set Decorator | |
| Jimmy Devis | Second Unit Camera | |
| Bob Ringwood | Costume Designer | |
| Patrick Wheatley | Costume Supervisor | |
| Colin Wilson | Associate Editor | |
| Martin Cohen | Associate Editor | |
| Craig Bassett | Associate Editor | |
| Colin Charles | Sound Mixer | |
| Tony Dawe | Sound Mixer | |
| Robert Knudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Don Digirolamo | Re-recording Mixer | |
| John Boyd | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Charles L. Campbell | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Louis L. Edemann | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Larry Carow | Sound Editor | |
| Lucy Coldsnow | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Isaacs | Sound Editor | |
| Chuck Neely | Sound Editor | |
| Rodger Sword | Sound Editor | |
| Ken Wannberg | Music Editor | |
| Paul Engelen | Make up | |
| Vera Mitchell | Hairstylist |
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: | $1,314,509 (5.9% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 6.99 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 225 opening theaters/673 max. theaters, 3.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $63,564,258 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | December 9th, 1987 (Limited) by Warner Bros. |
| Video Release: | April 13th, 1993 by Warner Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 150 minutes |
| Geographical setting: | Japan, Shanghai |
| Plot point: | Coming of Age, Missing Child, POW |
| Social setting: | Family Reunion, World War II |
| Subgenre: | Coming-of-Age Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1940s |
| 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 11, 1987 | 9 | $1,314,509 | 225 | $5,842 | $1,387,297 | 1 | |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 9 | $2,914,509 | 673 | $4,331 | $6,610,192 | 3 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 10 | $3,183,207 | +9% | 673 | $4,730 | $11,977,789 | 4 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 10 | $1,822,927 | -43% | 673 | $2,709 | $14,574,930 | 5 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 16 | $770,000 | 409 | $1,883 | $17,398,531 | 7 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 1987 | 10 | $5,098,899 | 673 | $7,576 | $8,794,582 | 4 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 10 | $3,957,421 | -22% | 673 | $5,880 | $12,752,003 | 5 |
Supporting
| John Malkovich | Basie | |
| Miranda Richardson | Mrs. Victor | |
| Nigel Havers | Dr. Rawlins | |
| Christian Bale | Jim | |
| Joe Pantoliano | Frank Demarest | |
| Leslie Phillips | Maxton | |
| Robert Stephens | Mr. Lockwood | |
| Paul McGann | Lt. Price | |
| David Neidorf | Tiptree | |
| Ralph Seymour | Cohen | |
| Ben Stiller | Dainty | |
| Masato Ibu | Sgt. Nagata | |
| Emily Richards | Jim's Mother | |
| Rupert Frazer | Jim's Father | |
| Peter Gale | Mr. Victor | |
| Takatoro Kataoka | Kamikaze Boy Pilot | |
| Zhai Nai She | Yang | |
| Guts Ishimatsu | Sgt Uchida | |
| Emma Piper | Amy Matthews | |
| James Walker | Mr. Radik | |
| Jack Dearlove | Singing Prisoner | |
| Anna Turner | Mrs. Gilmour | |
| Ann Castle | Mrs. Phillips | |
| Yvonne Gilan | Mrs. Lockwood | |
| Ralph Michael | Mr. Partridge | |
| Sybil Maas | Mrs. Hug | |
| Eric Flynn | British Prisoner | |
| James Greene | British Prisoner | |
| Simon Harrison | British Prisoner | |
| Barrie Houghton | British Prisoner | |
| Paula Hamilton | British Prisoner | |
| Thea Ranft | British Prisoner | |
| Tony Boncza | British Prisoner | |
| Nigel Leach | British Prisoner | |
| Sheridan Forbes | British Prisoner | |
| Peter Copley | British Prisoner | |
| Barbara Bolton | British Prisoner | |
| Francesca Longrigg | British Prisoner | |
| Samantha Warden | British Prisoner | |
| Kieron Jecchinis | American Prisoner | |
| Michael Crossman | American Prisoner | |
| Gary Parker | American Prisoner | |
| Ray Charleson | American Prisoner | |
| Burt Kwouk | Mr. Chen | |
| Tom Danaher | Col. Marshall | |
| Kong Guo-Jun | Chinese Youth | |
| Takao Yamada | Japanese Truck Driver | |
| Hiro Arai | Japanese Sergeant, Air Field | |
| Marc de Jong | Frenchman | |
| Susan Leong | Amah | |
| Nicholas Dastor | Paul | |
| Edith Platten | Paul's Sister | |
| Shirley Chantrell | Chinese Cook at Detention Centre | |
| John Moore | Mr. Pym | |
| Ann Queensberry | Mrs. Pym | |
| Sylvia Marriott | Mrs. Partridge | |
| Frank Duncan | Mrs. Hug's Father | |
| Ronald Eng | Mr. Chen's Aide | |
| Za Chuan Ce | Shopkeeper | |
| Shi Rui Qing | Shopkeeper | |
| Lu Ye | Merchant | |
| Guo Xue Liang | Merchant | |
| Ge Yan Zhao | Merchant |
Production and Technical Credits
| Steven Spielberg | Director | |
| J.G. Ballard | Story Creator | |
| Tom Stoppard | Screenwriter | |
| Steven Spielberg | Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Producer | |
| Robert Shipiro | Executive Producer | |
| Norman Reynolds | Production Designer | |
| Michael Kahn | Editor | |
| Allen Daviau | Director of Photography | |
| John Williams | Composer | |
| Chris Kenny | Associate Producer | |
| David Tomblin | Assistant Director | |
| Frank Marshall | Second Unit Director | |
| Ted Morley | Production Manager | |
| Charles Bishop | Supervising Art Director | |
| Maurice Fowler | Supervising Art Director | |
| Norman Dorme | Supervising Art Director | |
| Frederick Hole | Art Director | |
| Harry Cordwell | Set Decorator | |
| Michael D. Ford* | Set Decorator | |
| Jimmy Devis | Second Unit Camera | |
| Bob Ringwood | Costume Designer | |
| Patrick Wheatley | Costume Supervisor | |
| Colin Wilson | Associate Editor | |
| Martin Cohen | Associate Editor | |
| Craig Bassett | Associate Editor | |
| Colin Charles | Sound Mixer | |
| Tony Dawe | Sound Mixer | |
| Robert Knudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Don Digirolamo | Re-recording Mixer | |
| John Boyd | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Charles L. Campbell | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Louis L. Edemann | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Larry Carow | Sound Editor | |
| Lucy Coldsnow | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Isaacs | Sound Editor | |
| Chuck Neely | Sound Editor | |
| Rodger Sword | Sound Editor | |
| Ken Wannberg | Music Editor | |
| Paul Engelen | Make up | |
| Vera Mitchell | Hairstylist |
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.