They Live (1988)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $13,000,000 | Details |
| International Box Office | $2,234 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $13,002,234 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $86,494 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $2,692,619 | |
| Total | $2,779,113 | |
| OpusData ID: 32990100 More info... | ||
| 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 |
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 |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 93 minutes |
| Plot point: | Betrayal, Collaborator, Drifter, Homeless, Surprise Twist |
| Social setting: | Advertising and Marketing, Alien Invasion |
| Subgenre: | Action Thriller |
| 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 |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 1988 | 1 | $6,216,803 | 1,463 | $4,249 | $6,216,803 | 1 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 10/19/2018 | $774 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $774 | 12/7/2018 | |||
| New Zealand | 12/15/2022 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | $1,460 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| International Total | $2,234 | 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.
| Keith David | Frank | |
| Meg Foster | Holly Thompson | |
| Sy Richardson | Black Revolutionary |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Carpenter | Director | |
| Frank Armitage* | Screenwriter | |
| Larry Franco | Producer | |
| Hector C. Gika* | Sound Editor |
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: | $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 |
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 |
| MPA Rating: | R |
| Running Time: | 93 minutes |
| Plot point: | Betrayal, Collaborator, Drifter, Homeless, Surprise Twist |
| Social setting: | Advertising and Marketing, Alien Invasion |
| Subgenre: | Action Thriller |
| 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 |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 1988 | 1 | $6,216,803 | 1,463 | $4,249 | $6,216,803 | 1 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 10/19/2018 | $774 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $774 | 12/7/2018 | |||
| New Zealand | 12/15/2022 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | $1,460 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| International Total | $2,234 | 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.
| Keith David | Frank | |
| Meg Foster | Holly Thompson | |
| Sy Richardson | Black Revolutionary |
Production and Technical Credits
| John Carpenter | Director | |
| Frank Armitage* | Screenwriter | |
| Larry Franco | Producer | |
| Hector C. Gika* | Sound Editor |
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.