They Live (1988)

They Live
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $13,000,000Details
International Box Office $2,234Details
Worldwide Box Office $13,002,234
OpusData ID: 32990100
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,827,903 (37.1% of total gross)
Legs:2.69 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,463 opening theaters/1,463 max. theaters, 2.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $35,798,288

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,901-5,000) 4,961 $13,000,000
All Time International Box Office (Rank 31,601-31,700) 31,622 $2,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,001-7,100) 7,074 $13,002,234
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,850 $13,000,000
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,168 $2,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,201-2,300) 2,242 $13,002,234

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 4th, 1988 (Wide) by Universal
September 3rd, 2023 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events (35th Anniversary)
International Releases: May 4th, 1989 (Wide), released as Sie Leben (Germany)
October 19th, 2018 (Wide), released as They Live (1988) (rs: 2018) (Australia)
October 26th, 2018 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
December 15th, 2022 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 7th, 2025 (Limited), released as Sie Leben (Germany)
... Show all releases
Video Release: October 22nd, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 93 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Upgrade
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Advertising and Marketing, Action Thriller, Alien Invasion, Betrayal, Collaborator, Surprise Twist, Homeless, Drifter
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Thriller/Suspense
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Alive Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Veterans Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 229 $7,898,126 Nov 11, 1988 10

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,901-5,000) 4,961 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,041 $35,798,288
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,201-4,300) 4,219 $13,000,000
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1988 73 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,090 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,401-4,500) 4,428 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 452 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 401-500) 463 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,850 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 601-700) 606 $13,000,000

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 4, 1988 1 $4,827,903   1,463 $3,300   $4,827,903 1
Nov 11, 1988 4 $2,772,100 -43% 1,459 $1,900   $8,988,903 2

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 4, 1988 1 $6,216,803   1,463 $4,249   $6,216,803 1

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 10/19/2018 $774 1 1 1 $774 12/7/2018
Germany 5/4/1989 $0000$0
New Zealand 12/15/2022 $0 0 1 7 $1,460 9/22/2025
United Kingdom 10/26/2018 $0000$0
 
International Total$2,234 9/22/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 31,601-31,700) 31,622 $2,234
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 30,001-30,100) 30,019 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,759 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 27,501-27,600) 27,595 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,147 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 2,301-2,400) 2,360 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,168 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 501-600) 510 $2,234

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,001-7,100) 7,074 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 6,001-6,100) 6,080 $13,002,234
Top 1988 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 75 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,301-1,400) 1,361 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 6,201-6,300) 6,228 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 501-600) 540 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 601-700) 641 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,201-2,300) 2,242 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 601-700) 626 $13,002,234

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
Jan 24, 2021611,933 11,933$236,512$236,5121,475
Jan 22, 202359,999 128,393$194,981$2,047,4171,579

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Uncategorized

Keith David    Frank
Meg Foster    Holly Thompson
Sy Richardson    Black Revolutionary

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Carpenter    Director
Frank Armitage*    Screenwriter
Larry Franco    Producer
Hector C. Gika*    Sound Editor

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

2012 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part III

December 15th, 2012

We are getting closer and closer to Christmas and we are getting to the crunch time for gift shopping. After checking out first run releases and franchise box sets in Part I and TV on DVD releases in Part II, this week we look at limited releases, classics, and foreign films. Some are pretty obvious choices, as we had a few limited releases that broke into the mainstream during their theatrical releases, but there are also a few more films that slipped beneath the radar the last time around. The biggest of these is... More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 6th, 2012

November 6th, 2012

It's a mixed week on the home market. Granted, there are about a dozen Amazing Spider-man releases coming out this week, but not till Friday. The second best selling new release is Arthur Christmas, which missed expectations last year. Another major release of the week is The Muppets Christmas Carol, which is making its Blu-ray debut, but it is a catalogue title and likely won't sell a huge number of units. On a side note, the screener is late, but I've seen the film so many times that seeing it one more time likely won't change my opinion of the film, but I'm not sure if it is Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, I'm very sure Sunset Boulevard's Blu-ray debut is worthy of that title. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,827,903 (37.1% of total gross)
Legs:2.69 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,463 opening theaters/1,463 max. theaters, 2.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $35,798,288

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,901-5,000) 4,961 $13,000,000
All Time International Box Office (Rank 31,601-31,700) 31,622 $2,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,001-7,100) 7,074 $13,002,234
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,850 $13,000,000
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,168 $2,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,201-2,300) 2,242 $13,002,234

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 4th, 1988 (Wide) by Universal
September 3rd, 2023 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events (35th Anniversary)
International Releases: May 4th, 1989 (Wide), released as Sie Leben (Germany)
October 19th, 2018 (Wide), released as They Live (1988) (rs: 2018) (Australia)
October 26th, 2018 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
December 15th, 2022 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 7th, 2025 (Limited), released as Sie Leben (Germany)
... Show all releases
Video Release: October 22nd, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 93 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Upgrade
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Advertising and Marketing, Action Thriller, Alien Invasion, Betrayal, Collaborator, Surprise Twist, Homeless, Drifter
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Thriller/Suspense
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Alive Films
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Veterans Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 229 $7,898,126 Nov 11, 1988 10

Uncategorized

Keith David    Frank
Meg Foster    Holly Thompson
Sy Richardson    Black Revolutionary

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

John Carpenter    Director
Frank Armitage*    Screenwriter
Larry Franco    Producer
Hector C. Gika*    Sound Editor

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

2012 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part III

December 15th, 2012

We are getting closer and closer to Christmas and we are getting to the crunch time for gift shopping. After checking out first run releases and franchise box sets in Part I and TV on DVD releases in Part II, this week we look at limited releases, classics, and foreign films. Some are pretty obvious choices, as we had a few limited releases that broke into the mainstream during their theatrical releases, but there are also a few more films that slipped beneath the radar the last time around. The biggest of these is... More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 6th, 2012

November 6th, 2012

It's a mixed week on the home market. Granted, there are about a dozen Amazing Spider-man releases coming out this week, but not till Friday. The second best selling new release is Arthur Christmas, which missed expectations last year. Another major release of the week is The Muppets Christmas Carol, which is making its Blu-ray debut, but it is a catalogue title and likely won't sell a huge number of units. On a side note, the screener is late, but I've seen the film so many times that seeing it one more time likely won't change my opinion of the film, but I'm not sure if it is Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, I'm very sure Sunset Boulevard's Blu-ray debut is worthy of that title. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,901-5,000) 4,961 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,041 $35,798,288
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,201-4,300) 4,219 $13,000,000
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1988 73 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,090 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,401-4,500) 4,428 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 452 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 401-500) 463 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,850 $13,000,000
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 601-700) 606 $13,000,000

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 4, 1988 1 $4,827,903   1,463 $3,300   $4,827,903 1
Nov 11, 1988 4 $2,772,100 -43% 1,459 $1,900   $8,988,903 2

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 4, 1988 1 $6,216,803   1,463 $4,249   $6,216,803 1

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 10/19/2018 $774 1 1 1 $774 12/7/2018
Germany 5/4/1989 $0000$0
New Zealand 12/15/2022 $0 0 1 7 $1,460 9/22/2025
United Kingdom 10/26/2018 $0000$0
 
International Total$2,234 9/22/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 31,601-31,700) 31,622 $2,234
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 30,001-30,100) 30,019 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 2,701-2,800) 2,759 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 27,501-27,600) 27,595 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,147 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 2,301-2,400) 2,360 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,168 $2,234
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 501-600) 510 $2,234

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 7,001-7,100) 7,074 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 6,001-6,100) 6,080 $13,002,234
Top 1988 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 75 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,301-1,400) 1,361 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 6,201-6,300) 6,228 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 501-600) 540 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies (Rank 601-700) 641 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,201-2,300) 2,242 $13,002,234
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 601-700) 626 $13,002,234

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
Jan 24, 2021611,933 11,933$236,512$236,5121,475
Jan 22, 202359,999 128,393$194,981$2,047,4171,579

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.