The Land Before Time (1988)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $48,578,636 | Details |
| International Box Office | $33,880,000 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $82,458,636 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $12,628,383 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $338,532 | |
| Total | $12,966,915 | |
| OpusData ID: 11480100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $7,526,025 (15.5% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 5.99 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 58.9% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $12,300,000 (worldwide box office is 6.7 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,395 opening theaters/1,414 max. theaters, 14.0 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $133,284,335 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 18th, 1988 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | September 21st, 1989 (Wide) (Australia)
April 27th, 2023 (Wide) (New Zealand) April 27th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | by MCA Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | G |
| Running Time: | 69 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Land Before Time |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Animal Lead |
| Plot point: | Dinosaurs, Road Trip, Talking Animals, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Subgenre: | Family Adventure |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Production Method: | Hand Animation |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 1988 | 1 | $7,526,025 | 1,395 | $5,395 | $7,526,025 | 1 | |
| Nov 25, 1988 | 2 | $8,114,550 | +8% | 1,410 | $5,755 | $18,478,800 | 2 |
| Dec 2, 1988 | 4 | $3,535,560 | -56% | 1,403 | $2,520 | $23,099,025 | 3 |
| Dec 9, 1988 | 6 | $2,145,200 | -39% | 1,384 | $1,550 | $25,967,170 | 4 |
| Dec 16, 1988 | 8 | $1,511,640 | -30% | 1,326 | $1,140 | $27,931,305 | 5 |
| Dec 23, 1988 | 10 | $2,043,675 | +35% | 1,395 | $1,465 | $31,332,260 | 6 |
| Dec 30, 1988 | 8 | $3,725,890 | +82% | 1,414 | $2,635 | $38,001,650 | 7 |
| Jan 6, 1989 | 11 | $1,329,235 | -64% | 1,303 | $1,020 | $39,741,720 | 8 |
| Jan 13, 1989 | 12 | $994,390 | -25% | 1,111 | $895 | $40,996,825 | 9 |
| Jan 20, 1989 | 11 | $777,660 | -22% | 1,144 | $680 | $42,174,285 | 10 |
| Jan 27, 1989 | 16 | $655,700 | -16% | 1,041 | $630 | $42,977,575 | 11 |
| Feb 3, 1989 | 11 | $485,760 | -26% | 917 | $530 | $43,557,105 | 12 |
| Feb 10, 1989 | 11 | $307,200 | -37% | 768 | $400 | $43,938,675 | 13 |
| Feb 17, 1989 | 11 | $432,000 | +41% | 640 | $675 | $44,442,200 | 14 |
| Feb 24, 1989 | 11 | $246,960 | -43% | 588 | $420 | $44,727,560 | 15 |
| Mar 3, 1989 | 11 | $159,250 | -36% | 490 | $325 | $44,957,370 | 16 |
| Mar 10, 1989 | 11 | $129,000 | -19% | 430 | $300 | $45,105,970 | 17 |
| Mar 17, 1989 | 11 | $117,300 | -9% | 460 | $255 | $45,240,470 | 18 |
| Mar 24, 1989 | 11 | $282,285 | +141% | 459 | $615 | $45,541,155 | 19 |
| Mar 31, 1989 | 12 | $119,795 | -58% | 247 | $485 | $45,679,310 | 20 |
| Apr 7, 1989 | 18 | $108,680 | -9% | 209 | $520 | $45,797,870 | 21 |
| Apr 14, 1989 | 11 | $127,500 | +17% | 170 | $750 | $45,933,730 | 22 |
| Apr 21, 1989 | 20 | $78,780 | -38% | 101 | $780 | $46,052,460 | 23 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 1988 | 1 | $10,364,250 | 1,395 | $7,430 | $10,364,250 | 1 | |
| Nov 25, 1988 | 2 | $9,199,215 | -11% | 1,410 | $6,524 | $19,563,465 | 2 |
| Dec 2, 1988 | 4 | $4,258,505 | -54% | 1,403 | $3,035 | $23,821,970 | 3 |
| Dec 9, 1988 | 7 | $2,597,695 | -39% | 1,384 | $1,877 | $26,419,665 | 4 |
| Dec 16, 1988 | 8 | $2,868,920 | +10% | 1,326 | $2,164 | $29,288,585 | 5 |
| Dec 23, 1988 | 9 | $4,987,175 | +74% | 1,395 | $3,575 | $34,275,760 | 6 |
| Dec 30, 1988 | 8 | $4,136,725 | -17% | 1,414 | $2,926 | $38,412,485 | 7 |
| Jan 6, 1989 | 8 | $1,329,235 | -68% | 1,303 | $1,020 | $40,002,435 | 8 |
| Jan 13, 1989 | 11 | $1,394,190 | +5% | 1,111 | $1,255 | $41,396,625 | 9 |
| Jan 20, 1989 | 11 | $925,250 | -34% | 1,144 | $809 | $42,321,875 | 10 |
| Jan 27, 1989 | 9 | $749,470 | -19% | 1,041 | $720 | $43,071,345 | 11 |
| Feb 3, 1989 | 8 | $560,130 | -25% | 917 | $611 | $43,631,475 | 12 |
| Feb 10, 1989 | 7 | $378,725 | -32% | 768 | $493 | $44,010,200 | 13 |
| Feb 17, 1989 | 11 | $470,400 | +24% | 640 | $735 | $44,480,600 | 14 |
| Feb 24, 1989 | 8 | $317,520 | -33% | 588 | $540 | $44,798,120 | 15 |
| Mar 3, 1989 | 9 | $178,850 | -44% | 490 | $365 | $44,976,970 | 16 |
| Mar 10, 1989 | 8 | $146,200 | -18% | 430 | $340 | $45,123,170 | 17 |
| Mar 17, 1989 | 9 | $135,700 | -7% | 460 | $295 | $45,258,870 | 18 |
| Mar 24, 1989 | 10 | $300,645 | +122% | 459 | $655 | $45,559,515 | 19 |
| Mar 31, 1989 | 11 | $129,675 | -57% | 247 | $525 | $45,689,190 | 20 |
| Apr 7, 1989 | 8 | $117,040 | -10% | 209 | $560 | $45,806,230 | 21 |
| Apr 14, 1989 | 11 | $167,450 | +43% | 170 | $985 | $45,973,680 | 22 |
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 | 4/27/2023 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $963 | 4/29/2024 | |||
| Rest of World | $33,879,037 | |||||||||
| International Total | $33,880,000 | 4/29/2024 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Narrator
| Fred Gwynne | Narrator |
Supporting
| Helen Shaver | Littlefoot's Mother | |
| Gabriel Damon | Littlefoot | |
| Candace Hutson | Cera | |
| Burke Byrnes | Daddy Topps | |
| Pat Hingle | Rooter | |
| Judith Barsi | Ducky | |
| Will Ryan | Petrie | |
| Bill Erwin | Grandfather |
Production and Technical Credits
| Don Bluth | Director | |
| Don Bluth | Producer | |
| Gary Oldman | Producer | |
| John Pomeroy | Producer | |
| Steven Spielberg | Executive Producer | |
| George Lucas | Executive Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Executive Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Executive Producer | |
| James Horner | Composer | |
| Judy Freudberg | Story Creator | |
| Tony Geiss | Story Creator | |
| Stu Krieger | Screenwriter | |
| Deborah Jelin Newmyer | Associate Producer | |
| Russell Boland | Assistant Director | |
| G. Sue Shakespeare | Assistant Director | |
| David Steinberg | Assistant Director | |
| Thad Weinlein | Production Manager | |
| Cathy J. Carr | Production Supervisor | |
| John Pomeroy | Animation Director | |
| Linda Miller | Animation Director | |
| Ralph Zondag | Animation Director | |
| Dan Kuenster | Animation Director | |
| Lorna Pomeroy | Animation Director | |
| Dick Zondag | Animation Director | |
| Don Bluth | Production Designer | |
| Dan Molina | Editor | |
| John K. Carr | Editor | |
| Bill Rowe | Supervising | |
| Ray Merrin | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Dan Molina | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Kevin Brazier | Sound Editor | |
| Ian Fuller | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Henrikson | Music Editor | |
| Will Jennings | Composer | |
| Nancy Nayor | Casting Director |
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: | $7,526,025 (15.5% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 5.99 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 58.9% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $12,300,000 (worldwide box office is 6.7 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,395 opening theaters/1,414 max. theaters, 14.0 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $133,284,335 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 18th, 1988 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | September 21st, 1989 (Wide) (Australia)
April 27th, 2023 (Wide) (New Zealand) April 27th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | by MCA Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | G |
| Running Time: | 69 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Land Before Time |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Animal Lead |
| Plot point: | Dinosaurs, Road Trip, Talking Animals, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Subgenre: | Family Adventure |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Production Method: | Hand Animation |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 1988 | 1 | $7,526,025 | 1,395 | $5,395 | $7,526,025 | 1 | |
| Nov 25, 1988 | 2 | $8,114,550 | +8% | 1,410 | $5,755 | $18,478,800 | 2 |
| Dec 2, 1988 | 4 | $3,535,560 | -56% | 1,403 | $2,520 | $23,099,025 | 3 |
| Dec 9, 1988 | 6 | $2,145,200 | -39% | 1,384 | $1,550 | $25,967,170 | 4 |
| Dec 16, 1988 | 8 | $1,511,640 | -30% | 1,326 | $1,140 | $27,931,305 | 5 |
| Dec 23, 1988 | 10 | $2,043,675 | +35% | 1,395 | $1,465 | $31,332,260 | 6 |
| Dec 30, 1988 | 8 | $3,725,890 | +82% | 1,414 | $2,635 | $38,001,650 | 7 |
| Jan 6, 1989 | 11 | $1,329,235 | -64% | 1,303 | $1,020 | $39,741,720 | 8 |
| Jan 13, 1989 | 12 | $994,390 | -25% | 1,111 | $895 | $40,996,825 | 9 |
| Jan 20, 1989 | 11 | $777,660 | -22% | 1,144 | $680 | $42,174,285 | 10 |
| Jan 27, 1989 | 16 | $655,700 | -16% | 1,041 | $630 | $42,977,575 | 11 |
| Feb 3, 1989 | 11 | $485,760 | -26% | 917 | $530 | $43,557,105 | 12 |
| Feb 10, 1989 | 11 | $307,200 | -37% | 768 | $400 | $43,938,675 | 13 |
| Feb 17, 1989 | 11 | $432,000 | +41% | 640 | $675 | $44,442,200 | 14 |
| Feb 24, 1989 | 11 | $246,960 | -43% | 588 | $420 | $44,727,560 | 15 |
| Mar 3, 1989 | 11 | $159,250 | -36% | 490 | $325 | $44,957,370 | 16 |
| Mar 10, 1989 | 11 | $129,000 | -19% | 430 | $300 | $45,105,970 | 17 |
| Mar 17, 1989 | 11 | $117,300 | -9% | 460 | $255 | $45,240,470 | 18 |
| Mar 24, 1989 | 11 | $282,285 | +141% | 459 | $615 | $45,541,155 | 19 |
| Mar 31, 1989 | 12 | $119,795 | -58% | 247 | $485 | $45,679,310 | 20 |
| Apr 7, 1989 | 18 | $108,680 | -9% | 209 | $520 | $45,797,870 | 21 |
| Apr 14, 1989 | 11 | $127,500 | +17% | 170 | $750 | $45,933,730 | 22 |
| Apr 21, 1989 | 20 | $78,780 | -38% | 101 | $780 | $46,052,460 | 23 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 1988 | 1 | $10,364,250 | 1,395 | $7,430 | $10,364,250 | 1 | |
| Nov 25, 1988 | 2 | $9,199,215 | -11% | 1,410 | $6,524 | $19,563,465 | 2 |
| Dec 2, 1988 | 4 | $4,258,505 | -54% | 1,403 | $3,035 | $23,821,970 | 3 |
| Dec 9, 1988 | 7 | $2,597,695 | -39% | 1,384 | $1,877 | $26,419,665 | 4 |
| Dec 16, 1988 | 8 | $2,868,920 | +10% | 1,326 | $2,164 | $29,288,585 | 5 |
| Dec 23, 1988 | 9 | $4,987,175 | +74% | 1,395 | $3,575 | $34,275,760 | 6 |
| Dec 30, 1988 | 8 | $4,136,725 | -17% | 1,414 | $2,926 | $38,412,485 | 7 |
| Jan 6, 1989 | 8 | $1,329,235 | -68% | 1,303 | $1,020 | $40,002,435 | 8 |
| Jan 13, 1989 | 11 | $1,394,190 | +5% | 1,111 | $1,255 | $41,396,625 | 9 |
| Jan 20, 1989 | 11 | $925,250 | -34% | 1,144 | $809 | $42,321,875 | 10 |
| Jan 27, 1989 | 9 | $749,470 | -19% | 1,041 | $720 | $43,071,345 | 11 |
| Feb 3, 1989 | 8 | $560,130 | -25% | 917 | $611 | $43,631,475 | 12 |
| Feb 10, 1989 | 7 | $378,725 | -32% | 768 | $493 | $44,010,200 | 13 |
| Feb 17, 1989 | 11 | $470,400 | +24% | 640 | $735 | $44,480,600 | 14 |
| Feb 24, 1989 | 8 | $317,520 | -33% | 588 | $540 | $44,798,120 | 15 |
| Mar 3, 1989 | 9 | $178,850 | -44% | 490 | $365 | $44,976,970 | 16 |
| Mar 10, 1989 | 8 | $146,200 | -18% | 430 | $340 | $45,123,170 | 17 |
| Mar 17, 1989 | 9 | $135,700 | -7% | 460 | $295 | $45,258,870 | 18 |
| Mar 24, 1989 | 10 | $300,645 | +122% | 459 | $655 | $45,559,515 | 19 |
| Mar 31, 1989 | 11 | $129,675 | -57% | 247 | $525 | $45,689,190 | 20 |
| Apr 7, 1989 | 8 | $117,040 | -10% | 209 | $560 | $45,806,230 | 21 |
| Apr 14, 1989 | 11 | $167,450 | +43% | 170 | $985 | $45,973,680 | 22 |
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 | 4/27/2023 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $963 | 4/29/2024 | |||
| Rest of World | $33,879,037 | |||||||||
| International Total | $33,880,000 | 4/29/2024 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Narrator
| Fred Gwynne | Narrator |
Supporting
| Helen Shaver | Littlefoot's Mother | |
| Gabriel Damon | Littlefoot | |
| Candace Hutson | Cera | |
| Burke Byrnes | Daddy Topps | |
| Pat Hingle | Rooter | |
| Judith Barsi | Ducky | |
| Will Ryan | Petrie | |
| Bill Erwin | Grandfather |
Production and Technical Credits
| Don Bluth | Director | |
| Don Bluth | Producer | |
| Gary Oldman | Producer | |
| John Pomeroy | Producer | |
| Steven Spielberg | Executive Producer | |
| George Lucas | Executive Producer | |
| Frank Marshall | Executive Producer | |
| Kathleen Kennedy | Executive Producer | |
| James Horner | Composer | |
| Judy Freudberg | Story Creator | |
| Tony Geiss | Story Creator | |
| Stu Krieger | Screenwriter | |
| Deborah Jelin Newmyer | Associate Producer | |
| Russell Boland | Assistant Director | |
| G. Sue Shakespeare | Assistant Director | |
| David Steinberg | Assistant Director | |
| Thad Weinlein | Production Manager | |
| Cathy J. Carr | Production Supervisor | |
| John Pomeroy | Animation Director | |
| Linda Miller | Animation Director | |
| Ralph Zondag | Animation Director | |
| Dan Kuenster | Animation Director | |
| Lorna Pomeroy | Animation Director | |
| Dick Zondag | Animation Director | |
| Don Bluth | Production Designer | |
| Dan Molina | Editor | |
| John K. Carr | Editor | |
| Bill Rowe | Supervising | |
| Ray Merrin | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Dan Molina | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Kevin Brazier | Sound Editor | |
| Ian Fuller | Sound Editor | |
| Jim Henrikson | Music Editor | |
| Will Jennings | Composer | |
| Nancy Nayor | Casting Director |
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.