The Last Emperor (1987)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $43,984,987 | Details |
| International Box Office | $20,448 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $44,005,435 | |
| OpusData ID: 12590100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Legs: | 12.94 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $25,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.8 times production budget) |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $122,341,695 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 20th, 1987 (Limited) by Sony Pictures November 25th, 1998 (Limited) by Artisan |
| International Releases: | December 19th, 1987 (Wide), released as O Último Imperador (Portugal)
December 23rd, 1988 (Limited) (South Korea) March 7th, 2024 (Limited), released as The Last Emperor (Ο ΤΕΛΕΥΤΑΙΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑΣ) (Greece) May 15th, 2025 (Limited), released as The Last Emperor (Последний император) (Russia (CIS)) July 1st, 2025 (Limited), released as Der letzte Kaiser (Germany) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | January 6th, 2009 by Criterion |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 219 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1988 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Award win: | Oscars Best Picture Winner |
| Geographical setting: | China |
| Plot point: | Non-Chronological, Political Prisoner |
| Social setting: | Communism |
| Subgenre: | Biographical Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1900s, 1950s |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Dramatization |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Columbia Pictures, Hemdale Film Corporation, Jeremy Thomas Productions |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom, Italy, France, China |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 1987 | 13 | $402,257 | 29 | $13,871 | $1,327,583 | 4 | |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 14 | $999,042 | 92 | $10,859 | $3,676,398 | 6 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 15 | $1,124,142 | +13% | 94 | $11,959 | $5,565,638 | 7 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 17 | $678,798 | 108 | $6,285 | $8,778,734 | 10 | |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 11 | $1,106,588 | 479 | $2,310 | $20,966,245 | 17 | |
| Mar 18, 1988 | 11 | $876,913 | -21% | 371 | $2,364 | $22,146,384 | 18 |
| Mar 25, 1988 | 12 | $842,611 | -4% | 428 | $1,969 | $23,349,260 | 19 |
| Apr 1, 1988 | 13 | $560,501 | -33% | 386 | $1,452 | $24,058,739 | 20 |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 12 | $837,400 | +49% | 460 | $1,820 | $25,169,033 | 21 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 4 | $3,398,662 | +306% | 877 | $3,875 | $29,320,303 | 22 |
| Apr 22, 1988 | 6 | $2,597,418 | -24% | 877 | $2,962 | $33,097,200 | 23 |
| Apr 29, 1988 | 9 | $1,780,196 | -31% | 851 | $2,092 | $35,635,164 | 24 |
| May 6, 1988 | 8 | $1,256,177 | -29% | 817 | $1,538 | $37,419,329 | 25 |
| May 13, 1988 | 9 | $1,055,977 | -16% | 763 | $1,384 | $38,914,923 | 26 |
| May 20, 1988 | 10 | $930,729 | -12% | 792 | $1,175 | $40,295,591 | 27 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 1987 | 13 | $1,764,140 | 92 | $19,175 | $4,441,496 | 6 | |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 6 | $2,339,210 | 371 | $6,305 | $12,310,368 | 12 | |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 9 | $1,987,584 | -15% | 372 | $5,343 | $14,297,952 | 13 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 8 | $2,211,421 | +11% | 375 | $5,897 | $16,509,373 | 14 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 8 | $1,606,492 | -27% | 377 | $4,261 | $18,115,865 | 15 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 9 | $1,743,792 | +9% | 494 | $3,530 | $19,859,657 | 16 |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 9 | $1,409,814 | -19% | 479 | $2,943 | $21,269,471 | 17 |
| Mar 18, 1988 | 8 | $1,237,178 | -12% | 371 | $3,335 | $22,506,649 | 18 |
| Mar 25, 1988 | 10 | $991,589 | -20% | 428 | $2,317 | $23,498,238 | 19 |
| Apr 1, 1988 | 11 | $833,395 | -16% | 386 | $2,159 | $24,331,633 | 20 |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 8 | $1,590,008 | +91% | 460 | $3,457 | $25,921,641 | 21 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 3 | $4,578,141 | +188% | 877 | $5,220 | $30,499,782 | 22 |
| Apr 22, 1988 | 6 | $3,355,186 | -27% | 877 | $3,826 | $33,854,968 | 23 |
| Apr 29, 1988 | 7 | $2,308,184 | -31% | 851 | $2,712 | $36,163,152 | 24 |
| May 6, 1988 | 7 | $1,695,794 | -27% | 817 | $2,076 | $37,858,946 | 25 |
| May 13, 1988 | 9 | $1,505,916 | -11% | 763 | $1,974 | $39,364,862 | 26 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 12/19/1987 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $362 | 10/19/2022 | |||
| South Korea | 12/23/1988 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20,086 | 8/10/2018 | |||
| International Total | $20,448 | 10/19/2022 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| John Lone | ||
| Joan Chen | ||
| Peter O'Toole | ||
| Victor Wong | ||
| Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa |
Production and Technical Credits
| Bernardo Bertolucci | 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
| Legs: | 12.94 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $25,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.8 times production budget) |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $122,341,695 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 20th, 1987 (Limited) by Sony Pictures November 25th, 1998 (Limited) by Artisan |
| International Releases: | December 19th, 1987 (Wide), released as O Último Imperador (Portugal)
December 23rd, 1988 (Limited) (South Korea) March 7th, 2024 (Limited), released as The Last Emperor (Ο ΤΕΛΕΥΤΑΙΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑΣ) (Greece) May 15th, 2025 (Limited), released as The Last Emperor (Последний император) (Russia (CIS)) July 1st, 2025 (Limited), released as Der letzte Kaiser (Germany) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | January 6th, 2009 by Criterion |
| MPA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Running Time: | 219 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1988 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Award win: | Oscars Best Picture Winner |
| Geographical setting: | China |
| Plot point: | Non-Chronological, Political Prisoner |
| Social setting: | Communism |
| Subgenre: | Biographical Drama |
| Time period setting: | 1900s, 1950s |
| Source: | Based on Fiction Book/Short Story |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Dramatization |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Columbia Pictures, Hemdale Film Corporation, Jeremy Thomas Productions |
| Production Countries: | United Kingdom, Italy, France, China |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 1987 | 13 | $402,257 | 29 | $13,871 | $1,327,583 | 4 | |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 14 | $999,042 | 92 | $10,859 | $3,676,398 | 6 | |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 15 | $1,124,142 | +13% | 94 | $11,959 | $5,565,638 | 7 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 17 | $678,798 | 108 | $6,285 | $8,778,734 | 10 | |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 11 | $1,106,588 | 479 | $2,310 | $20,966,245 | 17 | |
| Mar 18, 1988 | 11 | $876,913 | -21% | 371 | $2,364 | $22,146,384 | 18 |
| Mar 25, 1988 | 12 | $842,611 | -4% | 428 | $1,969 | $23,349,260 | 19 |
| Apr 1, 1988 | 13 | $560,501 | -33% | 386 | $1,452 | $24,058,739 | 20 |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 12 | $837,400 | +49% | 460 | $1,820 | $25,169,033 | 21 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 4 | $3,398,662 | +306% | 877 | $3,875 | $29,320,303 | 22 |
| Apr 22, 1988 | 6 | $2,597,418 | -24% | 877 | $2,962 | $33,097,200 | 23 |
| Apr 29, 1988 | 9 | $1,780,196 | -31% | 851 | $2,092 | $35,635,164 | 24 |
| May 6, 1988 | 8 | $1,256,177 | -29% | 817 | $1,538 | $37,419,329 | 25 |
| May 13, 1988 | 9 | $1,055,977 | -16% | 763 | $1,384 | $38,914,923 | 26 |
| May 20, 1988 | 10 | $930,729 | -12% | 792 | $1,175 | $40,295,591 | 27 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 1987 | 13 | $1,764,140 | 92 | $19,175 | $4,441,496 | 6 | |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 6 | $2,339,210 | 371 | $6,305 | $12,310,368 | 12 | |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 9 | $1,987,584 | -15% | 372 | $5,343 | $14,297,952 | 13 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 8 | $2,211,421 | +11% | 375 | $5,897 | $16,509,373 | 14 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 8 | $1,606,492 | -27% | 377 | $4,261 | $18,115,865 | 15 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 9 | $1,743,792 | +9% | 494 | $3,530 | $19,859,657 | 16 |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 9 | $1,409,814 | -19% | 479 | $2,943 | $21,269,471 | 17 |
| Mar 18, 1988 | 8 | $1,237,178 | -12% | 371 | $3,335 | $22,506,649 | 18 |
| Mar 25, 1988 | 10 | $991,589 | -20% | 428 | $2,317 | $23,498,238 | 19 |
| Apr 1, 1988 | 11 | $833,395 | -16% | 386 | $2,159 | $24,331,633 | 20 |
| Apr 8, 1988 | 8 | $1,590,008 | +91% | 460 | $3,457 | $25,921,641 | 21 |
| Apr 15, 1988 | 3 | $4,578,141 | +188% | 877 | $5,220 | $30,499,782 | 22 |
| Apr 22, 1988 | 6 | $3,355,186 | -27% | 877 | $3,826 | $33,854,968 | 23 |
| Apr 29, 1988 | 7 | $2,308,184 | -31% | 851 | $2,712 | $36,163,152 | 24 |
| May 6, 1988 | 7 | $1,695,794 | -27% | 817 | $2,076 | $37,858,946 | 25 |
| May 13, 1988 | 9 | $1,505,916 | -11% | 763 | $1,974 | $39,364,862 | 26 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 12/19/1987 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $362 | 10/19/2022 | |||
| South Korea | 12/23/1988 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20,086 | 8/10/2018 | |||
| International Total | $20,448 | 10/19/2022 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
| John Lone | ||
| Joan Chen | ||
| Peter O'Toole | ||
| Victor Wong | ||
| Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa |
Production and Technical Credits
| Bernardo Bertolucci | 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.