Paris is Burning (1991)

Paris is Burning
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $3,247,160Details
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies, to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia and transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty.

Metrics

Legs:10.47 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $8,140,668

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 7,301-7,400) 7,323 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 11,501-11,600) 11,545 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,640 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,181 $3,247,160

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


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 13th, 1991 (Limited) by Academy Entertainment
June 14th, 2019 (Limited) by Janus Films
Video Release: February 25th, 2020 by Criterion
MPAA Rating: R for language and sexuality.
Running Time: 71 minutes
Comparisons: vs. 52 Tuesdays
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: LGBTQ+, 1980s, Fashion, Set in New York City, Set in New York, Cross-Dressing, Social and Cultural Documentary
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Prestige, Off White Productions, Inc
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Theater Average 24th Weekend 23 $5,158 Aug 23, 1991 166
Theater Average 23rd Weekend 7 $9,405 Aug 16, 1991 159
Theater Average 22nd Weekend 4 $13,484 Aug 9, 1991 152

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 7,301-7,400) 7,323 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 6,201-6,300) 6,290 $8,140,668
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 6,401-6,500) 6,494 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 501-600) 504 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,544 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 101-200) 170 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 101-200) 138 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,640 $3,247,160

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 9, 1991 11 $310,127   23 $13,484   $310,127 22
Aug 16, 1991 11 $300,968 -3% 32 $9,405   $797,324 23
Aug 23, 1991 11 $263,056 -13% 51 $5,158   $1,208,139 24
Aug 30, 1991 12 $299,501 +14% 81 $3,698   $1,664,154 25
Sep 6, 1991 11 $219,614 -27% 87 $2,524   $2,025,251 26
Sep 13, 1991 11 $176,040 -20% 86 $2,047   $2,327,323 27
Sep 20, 1991 11 $130,355 -26% 91 $1,432   $2,567,402 28
Sep 27, 1991 11 $95,602 -27% 65 $1,471   $2,732,889 29
Oct 4, 1991 11 $72,373 -24% 55 $1,316   $2,868,996 30
Oct 11, 1991 22 $55,858 -23% 55 $1,016   $2,973,102 31
Oct 18, 1991 13 $47,804 -14% 58 $824   $3,050,983 32
Oct 25, 1991 13 $30,979 -35% 43 $720   $3,102,449 33
Nov 1, 1991 13 $22,218 -28% 26 $855   $3,180,064 34
Nov 8, 1991 13 $22,189 n/c 21 $1,057   $3,180,035 35
Nov 15, 1991 42 $17,940 -19% 15 $1,196   $3,214,903 36
Nov 22, 1991 13 $13,984 -22% 16 $874   $3,247,160 37
Jun 14, 2019 47 $10,839   1 $10,839   $10,839 1,475
Jun 21, 2019 47 $10,629 -2% 2 $5,315   $35,139 1,476
Jun 28, 2019 47 $11,399 +7% 5 $2,280   $65,208 1,477
Jul 5, 2019 41 $10,781 -5% 6 $1,797   $82,437 1,478
Jul 12, 2019 49 $8,520 -21% 4 $2,130   $102,885 1,479
Jul 19, 2019 55 $3,105 -64% 4 $776   $108,014 1,480
Jul 26, 2019 63 $1,001 -68% 4 $250   $112,898 1,481
Aug 2, 2019 53 $8,572 +756% 2 $4,286   $122,828 1,482

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 9, 1991 10 $496,356   23 $21,581   $496,356 23
Aug 16, 1991 8 $448,727 -10% 32 $14,023   $945,083 24
Aug 23, 1991 8 $419,570 -6% 51 $8,227   $1,364,653 25
Aug 30, 1991 11 $440,984 +5% 81 $5,444   $1,805,637 26
Sep 6, 1991 9 $345,646 -22% 87 $3,973   $2,151,283 27
Sep 13, 1991 9 $285,764 -17% 86 $3,323   $2,437,047 28
Sep 20, 1991 7 $200,240 -30% 91 $2,200   $2,637,287 29
Sep 27, 1991 6 $159,336 -20% 65 $2,451   $2,796,623 30
Oct 4, 1991 11 $120,621 -24% 55 $2,193   $2,917,244 31
Oct 11, 1991 10 $85,935 -29% 55 $1,562   $3,003,179 32
Oct 18, 1991 10 $68,291 -21% 58 $1,177   $3,071,470 33
Oct 25, 1991 10 $52,085 -24% 43 $1,211   $3,123,555 34
Nov 1, 1991 10 $34,291 -34% 26 $1,319   $3,157,846 35
Nov 8, 1991 12 $39,117 +14% 21 $1,863   $3,196,963 36
Nov 15, 1991 10 $36,213 -7% 15 $2,414   $3,233,176 37
Jun 14, 2019 - $24,510   2 $12,255   $24,510 1,476
Jun 21, 2019 41 $29,299 +20% 5 $5,860   $53,809 1,477
Jun 28, 2019 51 $17,847 -39% 6 $2,975   $71,656 1,478
Jul 5, 2019 38 $22,709 +27% 6 $3,785   $94,365 1,479
Jul 12, 2019 56 $10,544 -54% 4 $2,636   $104,909 1,480
Jul 19, 2019 54 $6,988 -34% 4 $1,747   $111,897 1,481
Jul 26, 2019 66 $2,359 -66% 4 $590   $114,256 1,482
Aug 2, 2019 55 $11,421 +384% 4 $2,855   $125,677 1,483

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 11,501-11,600) 11,545 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 10,301-10,400) 10,378 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 801-900) 808 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 9,901-10,000) 9,912 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 201-300) 260 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 201-300) 205 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,181 $3,247,160

Lead Ensemble Members

Dorian Corey   
Pepper Labeija   
Venus Extravaganza   
Octavia St. Laurent   
Willi Ninja   
Anji Xtravaganza   
Freddie Pendavis   
Junior Labeija   

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

Production and Technical Credits

Jennie Livingston    Director
Jennie Livingston    Producer
Paul Gibson    Cinematographer
Jonathan Oppenheim    Editor
Barry Swimar    Co-Producer

Home Market Releases for February 25th, 2020

February 27th, 2020

Knives Out

It’s a strong, but shallow, week on the home market. There are only eight releases in the main list and a couple of them wouldn’t normally make the cut. However, nearly all of them are worth picking up and several were close to Pick of the Week contenders. That said, Knives Out was a clear choice for Pick of the Week. I will likely also be buying Food Wars, Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman, and others, but Knives Out is way ahead of the competition. More...

Theater Averages: Nothing New to Report

June 20th, 2019

Paris is Burning

There were no new releases in the $10,000 club this past weekend. That’s not to say there were no films that reached that mark, but neither of them were new. Paris is Burning is a re-release of a 1991 documentary and it earned $10,839 in its lone theater. Meanwhile, The Last Black Man in San Francisco spent a second weekend in the $10,000 club with an average of $10,581 in 36 theaters. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: One Plus One

June 14th, 2019

Plus One

It’s a terrible week for limited releases. Half the films on this week’s list are playing on VOD, while most of the rest have very limited box office chances either due to weak reviews, or because they are foreign-language films. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese and Plus One are among the two biggest / best releases of the week, but both are playing on VOD, so I don’t think either will find an audience in theaters. In fact, I suspect none of the films on this week’s list will find an audience in theaters. More...


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

Synopsis

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion “houses,” from fierce contests for trophies, to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia and transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty.

Metrics

Legs:10.47 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $8,140,668

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 7,301-7,400) 7,323 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 11,501-11,600) 11,545 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,640 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,181 $3,247,160

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


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 13th, 1991 (Limited) by Academy Entertainment
June 14th, 2019 (Limited) by Janus Films
Video Release: February 25th, 2020 by Criterion
MPAA Rating: R for language and sexuality.
Running Time: 71 minutes
Comparisons: vs. 52 Tuesdays
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: LGBTQ+, 1980s, Fashion, Set in New York City, Set in New York, Cross-Dressing, Social and Cultural Documentary
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Prestige, Off White Productions, Inc
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Theater Average 24th Weekend 23 $5,158 Aug 23, 1991 166
Theater Average 23rd Weekend 7 $9,405 Aug 16, 1991 159
Theater Average 22nd Weekend 4 $13,484 Aug 9, 1991 152

Lead Ensemble Members

Dorian Corey   
Pepper Labeija   
Venus Extravaganza   
Octavia St. Laurent   
Willi Ninja   
Anji Xtravaganza   
Freddie Pendavis   
Junior Labeija   

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

Production and Technical Credits

Jennie Livingston    Director
Jennie Livingston    Producer
Paul Gibson    Cinematographer
Jonathan Oppenheim    Editor
Barry Swimar    Co-Producer

Home Market Releases for February 25th, 2020

February 27th, 2020

Knives Out

It’s a strong, but shallow, week on the home market. There are only eight releases in the main list and a couple of them wouldn’t normally make the cut. However, nearly all of them are worth picking up and several were close to Pick of the Week contenders. That said, Knives Out was a clear choice for Pick of the Week. I will likely also be buying Food Wars, Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman, and others, but Knives Out is way ahead of the competition. More...

Theater Averages: Nothing New to Report

June 20th, 2019

Paris is Burning

There were no new releases in the $10,000 club this past weekend. That’s not to say there were no films that reached that mark, but neither of them were new. Paris is Burning is a re-release of a 1991 documentary and it earned $10,839 in its lone theater. Meanwhile, The Last Black Man in San Francisco spent a second weekend in the $10,000 club with an average of $10,581 in 36 theaters. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: One Plus One

June 14th, 2019

Plus One

It’s a terrible week for limited releases. Half the films on this week’s list are playing on VOD, while most of the rest have very limited box office chances either due to weak reviews, or because they are foreign-language films. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese and Plus One are among the two biggest / best releases of the week, but both are playing on VOD, so I don’t think either will find an audience in theaters. In fact, I suspect none of the films on this week’s list will find an audience in theaters. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 7,301-7,400) 7,323 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 6,201-6,300) 6,290 $8,140,668
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 6,401-6,500) 6,494 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 501-600) 504 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,544 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 101-200) 170 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 101-200) 138 $3,247,160
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,640 $3,247,160

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 9, 1991 11 $310,127   23 $13,484   $310,127 22
Aug 16, 1991 11 $300,968 -3% 32 $9,405   $797,324 23
Aug 23, 1991 11 $263,056 -13% 51 $5,158   $1,208,139 24
Aug 30, 1991 12 $299,501 +14% 81 $3,698   $1,664,154 25
Sep 6, 1991 11 $219,614 -27% 87 $2,524   $2,025,251 26
Sep 13, 1991 11 $176,040 -20% 86 $2,047   $2,327,323 27
Sep 20, 1991 11 $130,355 -26% 91 $1,432   $2,567,402 28
Sep 27, 1991 11 $95,602 -27% 65 $1,471   $2,732,889 29
Oct 4, 1991 11 $72,373 -24% 55 $1,316   $2,868,996 30
Oct 11, 1991 22 $55,858 -23% 55 $1,016   $2,973,102 31
Oct 18, 1991 13 $47,804 -14% 58 $824   $3,050,983 32
Oct 25, 1991 13 $30,979 -35% 43 $720   $3,102,449 33
Nov 1, 1991 13 $22,218 -28% 26 $855   $3,180,064 34
Nov 8, 1991 13 $22,189 n/c 21 $1,057   $3,180,035 35
Nov 15, 1991 42 $17,940 -19% 15 $1,196   $3,214,903 36
Nov 22, 1991 13 $13,984 -22% 16 $874   $3,247,160 37
Jun 14, 2019 47 $10,839   1 $10,839   $10,839 1,475
Jun 21, 2019 47 $10,629 -2% 2 $5,315   $35,139 1,476
Jun 28, 2019 47 $11,399 +7% 5 $2,280   $65,208 1,477
Jul 5, 2019 41 $10,781 -5% 6 $1,797   $82,437 1,478
Jul 12, 2019 49 $8,520 -21% 4 $2,130   $102,885 1,479
Jul 19, 2019 55 $3,105 -64% 4 $776   $108,014 1,480
Jul 26, 2019 63 $1,001 -68% 4 $250   $112,898 1,481
Aug 2, 2019 53 $8,572 +756% 2 $4,286   $122,828 1,482

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 9, 1991 10 $496,356   23 $21,581   $496,356 23
Aug 16, 1991 8 $448,727 -10% 32 $14,023   $945,083 24
Aug 23, 1991 8 $419,570 -6% 51 $8,227   $1,364,653 25
Aug 30, 1991 11 $440,984 +5% 81 $5,444   $1,805,637 26
Sep 6, 1991 9 $345,646 -22% 87 $3,973   $2,151,283 27
Sep 13, 1991 9 $285,764 -17% 86 $3,323   $2,437,047 28
Sep 20, 1991 7 $200,240 -30% 91 $2,200   $2,637,287 29
Sep 27, 1991 6 $159,336 -20% 65 $2,451   $2,796,623 30
Oct 4, 1991 11 $120,621 -24% 55 $2,193   $2,917,244 31
Oct 11, 1991 10 $85,935 -29% 55 $1,562   $3,003,179 32
Oct 18, 1991 10 $68,291 -21% 58 $1,177   $3,071,470 33
Oct 25, 1991 10 $52,085 -24% 43 $1,211   $3,123,555 34
Nov 1, 1991 10 $34,291 -34% 26 $1,319   $3,157,846 35
Nov 8, 1991 12 $39,117 +14% 21 $1,863   $3,196,963 36
Nov 15, 1991 10 $36,213 -7% 15 $2,414   $3,233,176 37
Jun 14, 2019 - $24,510   2 $12,255   $24,510 1,476
Jun 21, 2019 41 $29,299 +20% 5 $5,860   $53,809 1,477
Jun 28, 2019 51 $17,847 -39% 6 $2,975   $71,656 1,478
Jul 5, 2019 38 $22,709 +27% 6 $3,785   $94,365 1,479
Jul 12, 2019 56 $10,544 -54% 4 $2,636   $104,909 1,480
Jul 19, 2019 54 $6,988 -34% 4 $1,747   $111,897 1,481
Jul 26, 2019 66 $2,359 -66% 4 $590   $114,256 1,482
Aug 2, 2019 55 $11,421 +384% 4 $2,855   $125,677 1,483

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 11,501-11,600) 11,545 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 10,301-10,400) 10,378 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Real Life Events Movies (Rank 801-900) 808 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 9,901-10,000) 9,912 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Factual Movies (Rank 201-300) 260 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Documentary Movies (Rank 201-300) 205 $3,247,160
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,181 $3,247,160