Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $40,940,662 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 13630100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $99,184 (0.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 9.01 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 5.8 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 21 opening theaters/894 max. theaters, 12.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $130,433,480 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 26th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros., released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure |
| International Releases: | September 24th, 1987 (Wide), released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Australia)
September 29th, 2023 (Limited), released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Australia) |
| Video Release: | February 17th, 1986 by Warner Home Video, released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 86 minutes |
| Franchise: | Pee Wee |
| Plot point: | Fake Psychics, Haunting, Hitchhiker, Road Trip |
| Social setting: | Movie Business |
| Subgenre: | Family Adventure |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Warner Bros. |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1985 | 21 | $99,184 | 21 | $4,723 | $99,184 | 1 | |
| Aug 2, 1985 | 24 | $78,758 | -21% | 18 | $4,375 | $499,160 | 2 |
| Aug 9, 1985 | 3 | $4,545,847 | +5,672% | 829 | $5,484 | $5,110,805 | 3 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | 3 | $4,404,500 | -3% | 840 | $5,243 | $12,886,345 | 4 |
| Aug 23, 1985 | 3 | $4,004,890 | -9% | 892 | $4,490 | $19,764,662 | 5 |
| Aug 30, 1985 | 3 | $4,039,924 | +1% | 894 | $4,519 | $25,765,490 | 6 |
| Sep 6, 1985 | 3 | $2,190,447 | -46% | 888 | $2,467 | $28,627,393 | 7 |
| Sep 13, 1985 | 3 | $1,762,572 | -20% | 877 | $2,010 | $30,914,965 | 8 |
| Sep 20, 1985 | 4 | $1,653,437 | -6% | 882 | $1,875 | $33,049,152 | 9 |
| Sep 27, 1985 | 5 | $1,331,689 | -19% | 881 | $1,512 | $34,800,757 | 10 |
| Oct 4, 1985 | 6 | $1,204,856 | -10% | 842 | $1,431 | $36,335,997 | 11 |
| Oct 11, 1985 | 12 | $1,037,521 | -14% | 859 | $1,208 | $37,663,072 | 12 |
| Oct 18, 1985 | 11 | $791,566 | -24% | 771 | $1,027 | $38,651,130 | 13 |
| Oct 25, 1985 | 14 | $605,495 | -24% | 677 | $894 | $39,490,698 | 14 |
| Nov 1, 1985 | 16 | $575,313 | -5% | 581 | $990 | $40,246,236 | 15 |
| Nov 8, 1985 | 17 | $531,658 | -8% | 557 | $955 | $40,940,662 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1985 | 18 | $420,402 | 21 | $20,019 | $420,402 | 1 | |
| Aug 2, 1985 | 23 | $144,556 | -66% | 18 | $8,031 | $564,958 | 2 |
| Aug 9, 1985 | 3 | $7,916,887 | +5,377% | 829 | $9,550 | $8,481,845 | 3 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | 2 | $7,277,927 | -8% | 840 | $8,664 | $15,759,772 | 4 |
| Aug 23, 1985 | 3 | $5,965,794 | -18% | 892 | $6,688 | $21,725,566 | 5 |
| Aug 30, 1985 | 3 | $4,711,380 | -21% | 894 | $5,270 | $26,436,946 | 6 |
| Sep 6, 1985 | 4 | $2,715,447 | -42% | 888 | $3,058 | $29,152,393 | 7 |
| Sep 13, 1985 | 3 | $2,243,322 | -17% | 877 | $2,558 | $31,395,715 | 8 |
| Sep 20, 1985 | 4 | $2,073,353 | -8% | 882 | $2,351 | $33,469,068 | 9 |
| Sep 27, 1985 | 5 | $1,662,073 | -20% | 881 | $1,887 | $35,131,141 | 10 |
| Oct 4, 1985 | 6 | $1,494,410 | -10% | 842 | $1,775 | $36,625,551 | 11 |
| Oct 11, 1985 | 12 | $1,234,013 | -17% | 859 | $1,437 | $37,859,564 | 12 |
| Oct 18, 1985 | 12 | $1,025,639 | -17% | 771 | $1,330 | $38,885,203 | 13 |
| Oct 25, 1985 | 14 | $785,720 | -23% | 677 | $1,161 | $39,670,923 | 14 |
| Nov 1, 1985 | 15 | $738,081 | -6% | 581 | $1,270 | $40,409,004 | 15 |
Leading
| Paul Reubens | Pee-Wee Herman |
Supporting
| Elizabeth Daily | Dottie | |
| Mark Holton | Francis | |
| Diane Salinger | Simone | |
| Judd Omen | Mickey | |
| Irving Hellman | Neighbor | |
| Monte Landis | Mario | |
| Damon Martin | Chip | |
| David Glasser | BMX Kid | |
| Gregory Brown | BMX Racer | |
| Mark Everett | BMX Kid | |
| Daryl Roach | Chuck | |
| Bill Cable | Policeman | |
| Peter Looney | Policeman | |
| Starletta DuPois | Sgt. Hunter | |
| Toru Tanaka | Butler | |
| Ed Herlihy | Mr. Buxton | |
| Ralph Seymour | Francis' Accomplice | |
| Lou Cutell | Amazing Larry | |
| Raymond Martino | Gang Member | |
| Erica Yohn | Madam Ruby | |
| Bill Richmond | Highway Patrolman | |
| Alice Nunn | Large Marge | |
| Ed Griffith | Trucker | |
| Simmy Bow | Man in Diner | |
| Jon Harris | Andy | |
| Carmen Filpi | Hobo Jack | |
| Jan Hooks | Tina | |
| John Moody | Bus Clerk | |
| John O'Neill | Cowboy | |
| Alex Sharp | Cowboy | |
| Chester Grimes | Biker | |
| Luis Contreras | Biker | |
| Lonnie Parkinson | Biker | |
| Howard Hirdler | Biker | |
| Cassandra Peterson | Biker Mama | |
| Jason Hervey | Kevin Morton | |
| Bob McClurg | Studio Guard | |
| John Paragon | Movie Lot Actor | |
| Susan Barnes | Movie Lot Actress | |
| Zachary Hoffman | Director | |
| Lynne Marie Stewart | Mother Superior | |
| George Sasaki | Japanese Director | |
| Richard Brose | Tarzan | |
| Drew Seward | Kid | |
| Brett Fellman | Kid | |
| Bob Drew | Fireman | |
| John Gilgreen | Policeman at Pet Shop | |
| Noreen Hennessy | Reporter | |
| Phil Hartman | Reporter | |
| Michael Varhol | Photographer | |
| David Rothenberg | Hobo | |
| Patrick Cranshaw | Hobo | |
| Sunshine Parker | Hobo | |
| Gilles Savard | Pierre | |
| James Brolin | "P.W." | |
| Morgan Fairchild | "Dottie" | |
| Tony Bill | Terry Hawthorne | |
| Dee Snider | Member of Twisted Sister | |
| Eddie Ojeda | Member of Twisted Sister | |
| Jay Jay French | Member of Twisted Sister |
Production and Technical Credits
| Tim Burton | Director | |
| Robert Shapiro | Producer | |
| Richard Gilbert Abramson | Producer | |
| Phil Hartman | Screenwriter | |
| Paul Reubens | Screenwriter | |
| Michael Varhol | Screenwriter | |
| William E. McEuen | Executive Producer | |
| Victor J. Kemper | Director of Photography | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer | |
| Robert P. Cohen* | Assistant Director | |
| David Silver | Unit Production Manager | |
| David L Snyder | Production Designer | |
| Thomas L. Roysden | Set Decorator | |
| Aggie Guerard Rodgers | Costume Designer | |
| Billy Weber | Editor | |
| Petur Hliddal | Sound Mixer | |
| Terry Porter | Re-recording Mixer | |
| David J. Hudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Neil Brody | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Cecelia Hall | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| David B. Cohn | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Denise Horta | Sound Editor | |
| Joey Ippolito | Sound Editor | |
| David Pettijohn | Sound Editor | |
| Bob Badami | Music Editor | |
| Wally Nicita | Casting Director | |
| Paul Baxley | 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: | $99,184 (0.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 9.01 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 5.8 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 21 opening theaters/894 max. theaters, 12.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $130,433,480 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 26th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros., released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure |
| International Releases: | September 24th, 1987 (Wide), released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Australia)
September 29th, 2023 (Limited), released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Australia) |
| Video Release: | February 17th, 1986 by Warner Home Video, released as Pee Wee's Big Adventure |
| MPA Rating: | PG |
| Running Time: | 86 minutes |
| Franchise: | Pee Wee |
| Plot point: | Fake Psychics, Haunting, Hitchhiker, Road Trip |
| Social setting: | Movie Business |
| Subgenre: | Family Adventure |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Warner Bros. |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1985 | 21 | $99,184 | 21 | $4,723 | $99,184 | 1 | |
| Aug 2, 1985 | 24 | $78,758 | -21% | 18 | $4,375 | $499,160 | 2 |
| Aug 9, 1985 | 3 | $4,545,847 | +5,672% | 829 | $5,484 | $5,110,805 | 3 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | 3 | $4,404,500 | -3% | 840 | $5,243 | $12,886,345 | 4 |
| Aug 23, 1985 | 3 | $4,004,890 | -9% | 892 | $4,490 | $19,764,662 | 5 |
| Aug 30, 1985 | 3 | $4,039,924 | +1% | 894 | $4,519 | $25,765,490 | 6 |
| Sep 6, 1985 | 3 | $2,190,447 | -46% | 888 | $2,467 | $28,627,393 | 7 |
| Sep 13, 1985 | 3 | $1,762,572 | -20% | 877 | $2,010 | $30,914,965 | 8 |
| Sep 20, 1985 | 4 | $1,653,437 | -6% | 882 | $1,875 | $33,049,152 | 9 |
| Sep 27, 1985 | 5 | $1,331,689 | -19% | 881 | $1,512 | $34,800,757 | 10 |
| Oct 4, 1985 | 6 | $1,204,856 | -10% | 842 | $1,431 | $36,335,997 | 11 |
| Oct 11, 1985 | 12 | $1,037,521 | -14% | 859 | $1,208 | $37,663,072 | 12 |
| Oct 18, 1985 | 11 | $791,566 | -24% | 771 | $1,027 | $38,651,130 | 13 |
| Oct 25, 1985 | 14 | $605,495 | -24% | 677 | $894 | $39,490,698 | 14 |
| Nov 1, 1985 | 16 | $575,313 | -5% | 581 | $990 | $40,246,236 | 15 |
| Nov 8, 1985 | 17 | $531,658 | -8% | 557 | $955 | $40,940,662 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1985 | 18 | $420,402 | 21 | $20,019 | $420,402 | 1 | |
| Aug 2, 1985 | 23 | $144,556 | -66% | 18 | $8,031 | $564,958 | 2 |
| Aug 9, 1985 | 3 | $7,916,887 | +5,377% | 829 | $9,550 | $8,481,845 | 3 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | 2 | $7,277,927 | -8% | 840 | $8,664 | $15,759,772 | 4 |
| Aug 23, 1985 | 3 | $5,965,794 | -18% | 892 | $6,688 | $21,725,566 | 5 |
| Aug 30, 1985 | 3 | $4,711,380 | -21% | 894 | $5,270 | $26,436,946 | 6 |
| Sep 6, 1985 | 4 | $2,715,447 | -42% | 888 | $3,058 | $29,152,393 | 7 |
| Sep 13, 1985 | 3 | $2,243,322 | -17% | 877 | $2,558 | $31,395,715 | 8 |
| Sep 20, 1985 | 4 | $2,073,353 | -8% | 882 | $2,351 | $33,469,068 | 9 |
| Sep 27, 1985 | 5 | $1,662,073 | -20% | 881 | $1,887 | $35,131,141 | 10 |
| Oct 4, 1985 | 6 | $1,494,410 | -10% | 842 | $1,775 | $36,625,551 | 11 |
| Oct 11, 1985 | 12 | $1,234,013 | -17% | 859 | $1,437 | $37,859,564 | 12 |
| Oct 18, 1985 | 12 | $1,025,639 | -17% | 771 | $1,330 | $38,885,203 | 13 |
| Oct 25, 1985 | 14 | $785,720 | -23% | 677 | $1,161 | $39,670,923 | 14 |
| Nov 1, 1985 | 15 | $738,081 | -6% | 581 | $1,270 | $40,409,004 | 15 |
Leading
| Paul Reubens | Pee-Wee Herman |
Supporting
| Elizabeth Daily | Dottie | |
| Mark Holton | Francis | |
| Diane Salinger | Simone | |
| Judd Omen | Mickey | |
| Irving Hellman | Neighbor | |
| Monte Landis | Mario | |
| Damon Martin | Chip | |
| David Glasser | BMX Kid | |
| Gregory Brown | BMX Racer | |
| Mark Everett | BMX Kid | |
| Daryl Roach | Chuck | |
| Bill Cable | Policeman | |
| Peter Looney | Policeman | |
| Starletta DuPois | Sgt. Hunter | |
| Toru Tanaka | Butler | |
| Ed Herlihy | Mr. Buxton | |
| Ralph Seymour | Francis' Accomplice | |
| Lou Cutell | Amazing Larry | |
| Raymond Martino | Gang Member | |
| Erica Yohn | Madam Ruby | |
| Bill Richmond | Highway Patrolman | |
| Alice Nunn | Large Marge | |
| Ed Griffith | Trucker | |
| Simmy Bow | Man in Diner | |
| Jon Harris | Andy | |
| Carmen Filpi | Hobo Jack | |
| Jan Hooks | Tina | |
| John Moody | Bus Clerk | |
| John O'Neill | Cowboy | |
| Alex Sharp | Cowboy | |
| Chester Grimes | Biker | |
| Luis Contreras | Biker | |
| Lonnie Parkinson | Biker | |
| Howard Hirdler | Biker | |
| Cassandra Peterson | Biker Mama | |
| Jason Hervey | Kevin Morton | |
| Bob McClurg | Studio Guard | |
| John Paragon | Movie Lot Actor | |
| Susan Barnes | Movie Lot Actress | |
| Zachary Hoffman | Director | |
| Lynne Marie Stewart | Mother Superior | |
| George Sasaki | Japanese Director | |
| Richard Brose | Tarzan | |
| Drew Seward | Kid | |
| Brett Fellman | Kid | |
| Bob Drew | Fireman | |
| John Gilgreen | Policeman at Pet Shop | |
| Noreen Hennessy | Reporter | |
| Phil Hartman | Reporter | |
| Michael Varhol | Photographer | |
| David Rothenberg | Hobo | |
| Patrick Cranshaw | Hobo | |
| Sunshine Parker | Hobo | |
| Gilles Savard | Pierre | |
| James Brolin | "P.W." | |
| Morgan Fairchild | "Dottie" | |
| Tony Bill | Terry Hawthorne | |
| Dee Snider | Member of Twisted Sister | |
| Eddie Ojeda | Member of Twisted Sister | |
| Jay Jay French | Member of Twisted Sister |
Production and Technical Credits
| Tim Burton | Director | |
| Robert Shapiro | Producer | |
| Richard Gilbert Abramson | Producer | |
| Phil Hartman | Screenwriter | |
| Paul Reubens | Screenwriter | |
| Michael Varhol | Screenwriter | |
| William E. McEuen | Executive Producer | |
| Victor J. Kemper | Director of Photography | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer | |
| Robert P. Cohen* | Assistant Director | |
| David Silver | Unit Production Manager | |
| David L Snyder | Production Designer | |
| Thomas L. Roysden | Set Decorator | |
| Aggie Guerard Rodgers | Costume Designer | |
| Billy Weber | Editor | |
| Petur Hliddal | Sound Mixer | |
| Terry Porter | Re-recording Mixer | |
| David J. Hudson | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Neil Brody | Re-recording Mixer | |
| Cecelia Hall | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| David B. Cohn | Supervising Sound Editor | |
| Denise Horta | Sound Editor | |
| Joey Ippolito | Sound Editor | |
| David Pettijohn | Sound Editor | |
| Bob Badami | Music Editor | |
| Wally Nicita | Casting Director | |
| Paul Baxley | 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.