Possession (1981)
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| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $1,113,538 | Details |
| International Box Office | $34,147 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $1,147,685 | |
| OpusData ID: 60530100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $224,489 (20.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 4.96 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 97.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 69 opening theaters/75 max. theaters, 4.4 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $3,998,130 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | October 14th, 1983 (Wide) by Limelight International |
| International Releases: | May 27th, 1981 (Limited) (France)
May 27th, 1981 (Wide), released as Possessão (Portugal) September 14th, 2023 (Limited) (New Zealand) March 13th, 2025 (Limited) (Germany) October 3rd, 2025 (Limited) (Finland) ... Show all releases |
| Running Time: | 124 minutes |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Recut, Same Actor, Multiple Roles |
| Plot point: | Domestic Abuse, Doppelganger, Infidelity, Private Investigator, Relationships Gone Wrong, Suicide |
| Subgenre: | Psychological Horror |
| Target audience: | Cult Movie |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production Countries: | Germany, France |
| Languages: | English, German, French |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1983 | 19 | $224,489 | 69 | $3,253 | $224,489 | 1 | |
| Oct 21, 1983 | 31 | $27,912 | -88% | 21 | $1,329 | $327,230 | 2 |
| Oct 28, 1983 | 20 | $194,000 | +595% | 75 | $2,587 | $530,518 | 3 |
| Nov 4, 1983 | 23 | $107,922 | -44% | 33 | $3,270 | $703,172 | 4 |
| Nov 11, 1983 | 23 | $126,208 | +17% | 39 | $3,236 | $864,684 | 5 |
| Nov 18, 1983 | 27 | $119,555 | -5% | 43 | $2,780 | $1,003,791 | 6 |
| Nov 25, 1983 | 35 | $25,857 | -78% | 20 | $1,293 | $1,051,448 | 7 |
| Dec 2, 1983 | 28 | $54,626 | +111% | 29 | $1,884 | $1,113,538 | 8 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1983 | 15 | $299,318 | 69 | $4,338 | $299,318 | 1 | |
| Oct 21, 1983 | 25 | $37,200 | -88% | 21 | $1,771 | $336,518 | 2 |
| Oct 28, 1983 | 19 | $258,732 | +596% | 75 | $3,450 | $595,250 | 3 |
| Nov 4, 1983 | 23 | $143,226 | -45% | 33 | $4,340 | $738,476 | 4 |
| Nov 11, 1983 | 20 | $145,760 | +2% | 39 | $3,737 | $884,236 | 5 |
| Nov 18, 1983 | 27 | $141,355 | -3% | 43 | $3,287 | $1,025,591 | 6 |
| Nov 25, 1983 | 32 | $33,321 | -76% | 20 | $1,666 | $1,058,912 | 7 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 10/3/2025 | $6,363 | 11 | 11 | 11 | $6,363 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| New Zealand | 9/14/2023 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1,239 | 5/11/2026 | |||
| Portugal | 5/27/1981 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1,388 | 6/2/2026 | |||
| South Korea | 10/8/2025 | $8,061 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $25,157 | 4/6/2026 | |||
| International Total | $34,147 | 6/2/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Isabelle Adjani | Anna / Helen | |
| Sam Neill | Mark |
Supporting
| Heinz Bennent | Heinrich | |
| Margit Carstensen | Margit "Margie" Gluckmeister | |
| Carl Duering | Detective |
Production and Technical Credits
| Andrzej Żuławski | Director | |
| Andrzej Żuławski | Adaptation and dialogue by | |
| Frederic Tuten | Adaptation and dialogue by | |
| Marie-Laure Reyre | Producer | |
| Bruno Nuytten | Cinematographer | |
| Marie-Sophie Dubus | Editor | |
| Suzanne Lang-Willar | Editor | |
| Andrzej Żuławski | Composer |
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: | $224,489 (20.2% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 4.96 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 97.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 69 opening theaters/75 max. theaters, 4.4 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $3,998,130 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | October 14th, 1983 (Wide) by Limelight International |
| International Releases: | May 27th, 1981 (Limited) (France)
May 27th, 1981 (Wide), released as Possessão (Portugal) September 14th, 2023 (Limited) (New Zealand) March 13th, 2025 (Limited) (Germany) October 3rd, 2025 (Limited) (Finland) ... Show all releases |
| Running Time: | 124 minutes |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Recut, Same Actor, Multiple Roles |
| Plot point: | Domestic Abuse, Doppelganger, Infidelity, Private Investigator, Relationships Gone Wrong, Suicide |
| Subgenre: | Psychological Horror |
| Target audience: | Cult Movie |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production Countries: | Germany, France |
| Languages: | English, German, French |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1983 | 19 | $224,489 | 69 | $3,253 | $224,489 | 1 | |
| Oct 21, 1983 | 31 | $27,912 | -88% | 21 | $1,329 | $327,230 | 2 |
| Oct 28, 1983 | 20 | $194,000 | +595% | 75 | $2,587 | $530,518 | 3 |
| Nov 4, 1983 | 23 | $107,922 | -44% | 33 | $3,270 | $703,172 | 4 |
| Nov 11, 1983 | 23 | $126,208 | +17% | 39 | $3,236 | $864,684 | 5 |
| Nov 18, 1983 | 27 | $119,555 | -5% | 43 | $2,780 | $1,003,791 | 6 |
| Nov 25, 1983 | 35 | $25,857 | -78% | 20 | $1,293 | $1,051,448 | 7 |
| Dec 2, 1983 | 28 | $54,626 | +111% | 29 | $1,884 | $1,113,538 | 8 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1983 | 15 | $299,318 | 69 | $4,338 | $299,318 | 1 | |
| Oct 21, 1983 | 25 | $37,200 | -88% | 21 | $1,771 | $336,518 | 2 |
| Oct 28, 1983 | 19 | $258,732 | +596% | 75 | $3,450 | $595,250 | 3 |
| Nov 4, 1983 | 23 | $143,226 | -45% | 33 | $4,340 | $738,476 | 4 |
| Nov 11, 1983 | 20 | $145,760 | +2% | 39 | $3,737 | $884,236 | 5 |
| Nov 18, 1983 | 27 | $141,355 | -3% | 43 | $3,287 | $1,025,591 | 6 |
| Nov 25, 1983 | 32 | $33,321 | -76% | 20 | $1,666 | $1,058,912 | 7 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 10/3/2025 | $6,363 | 11 | 11 | 11 | $6,363 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| New Zealand | 9/14/2023 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1,239 | 5/11/2026 | |||
| Portugal | 5/27/1981 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $1,388 | 6/2/2026 | |||
| South Korea | 10/8/2025 | $8,061 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $25,157 | 4/6/2026 | |||
| International Total | $34,147 | 6/2/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Isabelle Adjani | Anna / Helen | |
| Sam Neill | Mark |
Supporting
| Heinz Bennent | Heinrich | |
| Margit Carstensen | Margit "Margie" Gluckmeister | |
| Carl Duering | Detective |
Production and Technical Credits
| Andrzej Żuławski | Director | |
| Andrzej Żuławski | Adaptation and dialogue by | |
| Frederic Tuten | Adaptation and dialogue by | |
| Marie-Laure Reyre | Producer | |
| Bruno Nuytten | Cinematographer | |
| Marie-Sophie Dubus | Editor | |
| Suzanne Lang-Willar | Editor | |
| Andrzej Żuławski | Composer |
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.