Escape from New York (1981)

Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $25,244,700Details
International Box Office $31,650Details
Worldwide Box Office $25,276,350
OpusData ID: 21390100
Further financial details...

Synopsis

The world is ravaged by crime and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President crash-lands inside, only Plissken can bring him back.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,162,385 (16.5% of total gross)
Legs:6.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.9% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$6,000,000 (worldwide box office is 4.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:579 opening theaters/579 max. theaters, 2.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $102,704,153

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,417 $25,244,700
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,001-5,100) 5,018 $25,276,350
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,166 $25,244,700
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,701-3,800) 3,760 $31,650
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,501-1,600) 1,552 $25,276,350

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 10th, 1981 (Wide) by Avco Embassy
International Releases: November 22nd, 2018 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
November 23rd, 2018 (Wide), released as Escape From New York (1981) (re: 2018) (Australia)
April 29th, 2021 (Limited) (New Zealand)
August 26th, 2021 (Wide), released as Побег из Нью-Йорка (Russia (CIS))
November 1st, 2022 (Limited) (Germany)
... Show all releases
Video Release: June 6th, 2000 by MGM Video
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 98 minutes
Franchise: Escape from New York
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Hostage, Action Thriller, Rescue, Near Future, Yesterday's Tomorrow, Set in New York, Set in New York City, Politicians, 1990s, Crime Boss, Death of a Girlfriend / Boyfriend, Voiceover/Narration, Dystopia
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Action
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,417 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,774 $102,704,153
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,789 $25,244,700
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1981 30 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,775 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,973 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 301-400) 337 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 501-600) 578 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,166 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 2 $25,244,700

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 10, 1981 5 $4,162,385   579 $7,189   $4,162,385 1
Jul 17, 1981 8 $2,831,055 -32% 579 $4,890   $9,098,436 2
Jul 24, 1981 9 $1,926,035 -32% 476 $4,046   $11,381,096 3

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 10, 1981 5 $6,267,381   579 $10,824   $6,267,381 1
Jul 17, 1981 7 $3,187,680 -49% 579 $5,505   $9,455,061 2

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 11/23/2018 $1,225 1 1 1 $1,225 11/29/2018
Germany 11/1/2022 $0000$0
New Zealand 4/29/2021 $0 0 1 4 $1,735 1/20/2025
Russia (CIS) 8/26/2021 $0 0 25 34 $28,690 10/20/2022
United Kingdom 11/22/2018 $0000$0
 
International Total$31,650 1/20/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 22,401-22,500) 22,478 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 14,401-14,500) 14,474 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 20,501-20,600) 20,576 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 960 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,053 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,701-3,800) 3,760 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 1 $31,650

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,001-5,100) 5,018 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,181 $25,276,350
Top 1981 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 32 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,710 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,301-4,400) 4,374 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 448 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 883 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,501-1,600) 1,552 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 2 $25,276,350

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
May 22, 2022107,244 7,244$155,529$155,5291,146

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Leading Cast

Kurt Russell    Snake Plissken

Supporting Cast

Donald Pleasance    President of the United States

Uncategorized

Jamie Lee Curtis    Narrator/Computer Voice
John Carpenter    Secret Service #2/Helicopter Pilot/Violin Player
Adrienne Barbeau    Maggie
John Diehl    Punk
Isaac Hayes    The Duke of New York
Ernest Borgnine    Chabbie
Lee Van Cleef    Bob Hauk
Harry Dean Stanton    Brain/Harold Helman

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Carpenter    Director
John Carpenter    Screenwriter
Nick Castle    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for April 21st, 2015

April 20th, 2015

It is another terrible week on the home market. There is only one big movie coming out this week, Taken 3, but its Tomatometer Score is in single digits. It is infinitely skippable. As for contenders for Pick of the Week, there are not a lot. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (DVD or Blu-ray) is the only real contender, while A Most Violent Year is on the list because the screener arrived late and it is the only other release that is an easy recommendation. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Synopsis

The world is ravaged by crime and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President crash-lands inside, only Plissken can bring him back.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,162,385 (16.5% of total gross)
Legs:6.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.9% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$6,000,000 (worldwide box office is 4.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:579 opening theaters/579 max. theaters, 2.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $102,704,153

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,417 $25,244,700
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,001-5,100) 5,018 $25,276,350
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,166 $25,244,700
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,701-3,800) 3,760 $31,650
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,501-1,600) 1,552 $25,276,350

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: July 10th, 1981 (Wide) by Avco Embassy
International Releases: November 22nd, 2018 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
November 23rd, 2018 (Wide), released as Escape From New York (1981) (re: 2018) (Australia)
April 29th, 2021 (Limited) (New Zealand)
August 26th, 2021 (Wide), released as Побег из Нью-Йорка (Russia (CIS))
November 1st, 2022 (Limited) (Germany)
... Show all releases
Video Release: June 6th, 2000 by MGM Video
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 98 minutes
Franchise: Escape from New York
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Hostage, Action Thriller, Rescue, Near Future, Yesterday's Tomorrow, Set in New York, Set in New York City, Politicians, 1990s, Crime Boss, Death of a Girlfriend / Boyfriend, Voiceover/Narration, Dystopia
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Action
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

Kurt Russell    Snake Plissken

Supporting Cast

Donald Pleasance    President of the United States

Uncategorized

Jamie Lee Curtis    Narrator/Computer Voice
John Carpenter    Secret Service #2/Helicopter Pilot/Violin Player
Adrienne Barbeau    Maggie
John Diehl    Punk
Isaac Hayes    The Duke of New York
Ernest Borgnine    Chabbie
Lee Van Cleef    Bob Hauk
Harry Dean Stanton    Brain/Harold Helman

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Carpenter    Director
John Carpenter    Screenwriter
Nick Castle    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for April 21st, 2015

April 20th, 2015

It is another terrible week on the home market. There is only one big movie coming out this week, Taken 3, but its Tomatometer Score is in single digits. It is infinitely skippable. As for contenders for Pick of the Week, there are not a lot. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (DVD or Blu-ray) is the only real contender, while A Most Violent Year is on the list because the screener arrived late and it is the only other release that is an easy recommendation. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,417 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,774 $102,704,153
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,789 $25,244,700
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1981 30 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 1,701-1,800) 1,775 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,973 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 301-400) 337 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 501-600) 578 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,166 $25,244,700
All Time Domestic Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 2 $25,244,700

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 10, 1981 5 $4,162,385   579 $7,189   $4,162,385 1
Jul 17, 1981 8 $2,831,055 -32% 579 $4,890   $9,098,436 2
Jul 24, 1981 9 $1,926,035 -32% 476 $4,046   $11,381,096 3

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Jul 10, 1981 5 $6,267,381   579 $10,824   $6,267,381 1
Jul 17, 1981 7 $3,187,680 -49% 579 $5,505   $9,455,061 2

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 11/23/2018 $1,225 1 1 1 $1,225 11/29/2018
Germany 11/1/2022 $0000$0
New Zealand 4/29/2021 $0 0 1 4 $1,735 1/20/2025
Russia (CIS) 8/26/2021 $0 0 25 34 $28,690 10/20/2022
United Kingdom 11/22/2018 $0000$0
 
International Total$31,650 1/20/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 22,401-22,500) 22,478 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 14,401-14,500) 14,474 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 20,501-20,600) 20,576 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 960 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,053 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,701-3,800) 3,760 $31,650
All Time International Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 1 $31,650

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,001-5,100) 5,018 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,181 $25,276,350
Top 1981 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 32 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,710 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,301-4,400) 4,374 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 448 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 883 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,501-1,600) 1,552 $25,276,350
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Avco Embassy Movies 2 $25,276,350

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
May 22, 2022107,244 7,244$155,529$155,5291,146

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.