Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $49,509,935 | Details |
| International Box Office | $242,306 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $49,752,241 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $95,634 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $1,418,922 | |
| Total | $1,514,556 | |
| OpusData ID: 11250100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $7,009,482 (14.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 7.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 99.5% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,118 opening theaters/1,684 max. theaters, 8.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $141,742,643 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 25th, 1987 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures November 6th, 2022 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events |
| International Releases: | April 28th, 1988 (Wide) (Germany)
November 13th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 17th, 1988 by Paramount Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | R (after appeal upheld) |
| Running Time: | 92 minutes |
| Plot point: | Non-Chronological, Road Trip, Surprise Twist, Widow/Widower |
| Social setting: | Thanksgiving, Travel Industry |
| Subgenre: | Buddy Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1987 | 3 | $7,009,482 | 1,118 | $6,270 | $10,131,242 | 1 | |
| Dec 4, 1987 | 2 | $5,069,770 | -28% | 1,118 | $4,535 | $17,050,728 | 2 |
| Dec 11, 1987 | 4 | $3,698,739 | -27% | 1,578 | $2,344 | $22,220,620 | 3 |
| Dec 18, 1987 | 6 | $2,638,790 | -29% | 1,610 | $1,639 | $26,099,453 | 4 |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 7 | $4,029,708 | +53% | 1,684 | $2,393 | $31,933,063 | 5 |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 7 | $4,024,857 | n/c | 1,684 | $2,390 | $39,074,006 | 6 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 7 | $2,659,500 | -34% | 1,571 | $1,693 | $42,783,481 | 7 |
| Jan 15, 1988 | 12 | $1,421,230 | -47% | 1,081 | $1,315 | $45,076,982 | 8 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 15 | $919,122 | -35% | 898 | $1,024 | $46,444,520 | 9 |
| Jan 29, 1988 | 11 | $701,601 | -24% | 775 | $905 | $47,438,733 | 10 |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 10 | $507,429 | -28% | 605 | $839 | $48,171,779 | 11 |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 12 | $309,406 | -39% | 390 | $793 | $48,636,852 | 12 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 12 | $231,214 | -25% | 317 | $729 | $48,944,890 | 13 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 13 | $156,692 | -32% | 222 | $706 | $49,183,283 | 14 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 12 | $124,918 | -20% | 163 | $766 | $49,371,065 | 15 |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 15 | $93,698 | -25% | 123 | $762 | $49,509,935 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1987 | 2 | $8,859,198 | 1,118 | $7,924 | $11,980,958 | 2 | |
| Dec 4, 1987 | 2 | $6,540,923 | -26% | 1,118 | $5,851 | $18,521,881 | 3 |
| Dec 11, 1987 | 4 | $4,938,782 | -24% | 1,578 | $3,130 | $23,460,663 | 4 |
| Dec 18, 1987 | 6 | $4,442,692 | -10% | 1,610 | $2,759 | $27,903,355 | 5 |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 7 | $7,145,794 | +61% | 1,684 | $4,243 | $35,049,149 | 6 |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 7 | $5,074,832 | -29% | 1,684 | $3,014 | $40,123,981 | 7 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 7 | $3,531,771 | -30% | 1,571 | $2,248 | $43,655,752 | 8 |
| Jan 15, 1988 | 12 | $1,869,646 | -47% | 1,081 | $1,730 | $45,525,398 | 9 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 12 | $1,211,734 | -35% | 898 | $1,349 | $46,737,132 | 10 |
| Jan 29, 1988 | 8 | $927,218 | -23% | 775 | $1,196 | $47,664,350 | 11 |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 8 | $663,096 | -28% | 605 | $1,096 | $48,327,446 | 12 |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 11 | $386,230 | -42% | 390 | $990 | $48,713,676 | 13 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 11 | $312,915 | -19% | 317 | $987 | $49,026,591 | 14 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 11 | $219,556 | -30% | 222 | $989 | $49,246,147 | 15 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 12 | $170,090 | -23% | 163 | $1,043 | $49,416,237 | 16 |
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 | 11/13/2025 | $270 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $270 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| Rest of World | $242,036 | |||||||||
| International Total | $242,306 | 4/4/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Steve Martin | Neal Page | |
| John Candy | Del Griffith |
Supporting
| Kevin Bacon | Taxi Racer | |
| Larry Hankin | Doobie | |
| Dylan Baker | Owen | |
| Michael McKean | State Trooper | |
| Susan Kellerman | Waitress | |
| Edie McClurg | Car Rental Agent | |
| Ben Stein | Wichita Airport Representative |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Hughes | Director | |
| Janet Hirshenson | Casting Director | |
| Jane Jenkins | 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: | $7,009,482 (14.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 7.06 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 99.5% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,118 opening theaters/1,684 max. theaters, 8.9 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $141,742,643 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | November 25th, 1987 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures November 6th, 2022 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events |
| International Releases: | April 28th, 1988 (Wide) (Germany)
November 13th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 17th, 1988 by Paramount Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | R (after appeal upheld) |
| Running Time: | 92 minutes |
| Plot point: | Non-Chronological, Road Trip, Surprise Twist, Widow/Widower |
| Social setting: | Thanksgiving, Travel Industry |
| Subgenre: | Buddy Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1987 | 3 | $7,009,482 | 1,118 | $6,270 | $10,131,242 | 1 | |
| Dec 4, 1987 | 2 | $5,069,770 | -28% | 1,118 | $4,535 | $17,050,728 | 2 |
| Dec 11, 1987 | 4 | $3,698,739 | -27% | 1,578 | $2,344 | $22,220,620 | 3 |
| Dec 18, 1987 | 6 | $2,638,790 | -29% | 1,610 | $1,639 | $26,099,453 | 4 |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 7 | $4,029,708 | +53% | 1,684 | $2,393 | $31,933,063 | 5 |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 7 | $4,024,857 | n/c | 1,684 | $2,390 | $39,074,006 | 6 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 7 | $2,659,500 | -34% | 1,571 | $1,693 | $42,783,481 | 7 |
| Jan 15, 1988 | 12 | $1,421,230 | -47% | 1,081 | $1,315 | $45,076,982 | 8 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 15 | $919,122 | -35% | 898 | $1,024 | $46,444,520 | 9 |
| Jan 29, 1988 | 11 | $701,601 | -24% | 775 | $905 | $47,438,733 | 10 |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 10 | $507,429 | -28% | 605 | $839 | $48,171,779 | 11 |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 12 | $309,406 | -39% | 390 | $793 | $48,636,852 | 12 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 12 | $231,214 | -25% | 317 | $729 | $48,944,890 | 13 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 13 | $156,692 | -32% | 222 | $706 | $49,183,283 | 14 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 12 | $124,918 | -20% | 163 | $766 | $49,371,065 | 15 |
| Mar 11, 1988 | 15 | $93,698 | -25% | 123 | $762 | $49,509,935 | 16 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1987 | 2 | $8,859,198 | 1,118 | $7,924 | $11,980,958 | 2 | |
| Dec 4, 1987 | 2 | $6,540,923 | -26% | 1,118 | $5,851 | $18,521,881 | 3 |
| Dec 11, 1987 | 4 | $4,938,782 | -24% | 1,578 | $3,130 | $23,460,663 | 4 |
| Dec 18, 1987 | 6 | $4,442,692 | -10% | 1,610 | $2,759 | $27,903,355 | 5 |
| Dec 25, 1987 | 7 | $7,145,794 | +61% | 1,684 | $4,243 | $35,049,149 | 6 |
| Jan 1, 1988 | 7 | $5,074,832 | -29% | 1,684 | $3,014 | $40,123,981 | 7 |
| Jan 8, 1988 | 7 | $3,531,771 | -30% | 1,571 | $2,248 | $43,655,752 | 8 |
| Jan 15, 1988 | 12 | $1,869,646 | -47% | 1,081 | $1,730 | $45,525,398 | 9 |
| Jan 22, 1988 | 12 | $1,211,734 | -35% | 898 | $1,349 | $46,737,132 | 10 |
| Jan 29, 1988 | 8 | $927,218 | -23% | 775 | $1,196 | $47,664,350 | 11 |
| Feb 5, 1988 | 8 | $663,096 | -28% | 605 | $1,096 | $48,327,446 | 12 |
| Feb 12, 1988 | 11 | $386,230 | -42% | 390 | $990 | $48,713,676 | 13 |
| Feb 19, 1988 | 11 | $312,915 | -19% | 317 | $987 | $49,026,591 | 14 |
| Feb 26, 1988 | 11 | $219,556 | -30% | 222 | $989 | $49,246,147 | 15 |
| Mar 4, 1988 | 12 | $170,090 | -23% | 163 | $1,043 | $49,416,237 | 16 |
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 | 11/13/2025 | $270 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $270 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| Rest of World | $242,036 | |||||||||
| International Total | $242,306 | 4/4/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Steve Martin | Neal Page | |
| John Candy | Del Griffith |
Supporting
| Kevin Bacon | Taxi Racer | |
| Larry Hankin | Doobie | |
| Dylan Baker | Owen | |
| Michael McKean | State Trooper | |
| Susan Kellerman | Waitress | |
| Edie McClurg | Car Rental Agent | |
| Ben Stein | Wichita Airport Representative |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Hughes | Director | |
| Janet Hirshenson | Casting Director | |
| Jane Jenkins | 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.