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Original Screenplay > 1981
Original Screenplay Movies Released in 1981
This list shows all Original Screenplay films released in 1981, including films that went direct-to-video, or only got an international theatrical release. For each film, we use the first date on which it was made available to the public, which might include international theatrical or domestic video releases that were a few days, or sometimes more, earlier than the domestic (US/Canada) theatrical release.
The revenue listed is the worldwide box office combined with the domestic home market revenue to date.
Domestic Analysis for Original Screenplay Movies for 1981
Release
Date | Movie | Genre | Release
Type | Revenue
to Date | Trailer |
|---|
| January 1981 |
| January 1 |
My Dinner with Andre |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$15,063 |
|
|
Scream |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| 1981 TBD |
The Devil and Max Devlin |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$16,000,000 |
|
|
Fort Apache, The Bronx |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$65,200,000 |
|
|
The Private Eyes |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$18,000,000 |
|
|
Roar |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$2,824,400 |
|
|
Scanners |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$14,445,662 |
|
| |
| January 14 |
Lili Marleen |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| January 16 |
Fear No Evil |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| January 23 |
Krakonoš a lyžníci |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$1,471 |
|
|
Le notti del terrore |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| January 28 |
Blood Beach |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| |
| Jan, 1981 TBD |
Underground Aces |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| February 1981 |
| February 6 |
Goodbye Pork Pie |
Action |
Theatrical |
$394 |
|
| |
| February 11 |
Le dernier métro |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$3,000,000 |
|
|
My Bloody Valentine |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| February 13 |
American Pop |
Musical |
Theatrical |
$6,000,000 |
|
| |
| |
| Feb, 1981 TBD |
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dra… |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| March 1981 |
| March 1 |
Baekugido bame uneunga |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,756 |
|
| |
| March 4 |
Madhouse |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| March 6 |
Occhio alla penna |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
On the Right Track |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$13,000,000 |
|
|
Permanent Vacation |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| March 13 |
Back Roads |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$11,809,387 |
|
|
The Funhouse |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$7,000,141 |
|
|
Loophole |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Modern Romance |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$29,137 |
|
| |
| March 20 |
Amy |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
The Final Conflict |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$20,471,000 |
|
| |
| March 21 |
Si wang ta (死亡塔) |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| March 27 |
Eyes of a Stranger |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$546,724 |
|
| |
| March 29 |
The Long Good Friday |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| April 1981 |
| April 3 |
Atlantic City |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$10,000,000 |
|
| |
| April 10 |
The Howling |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$17,985,130 |
|
|
Knightriders |
Action |
Theatrical |
$64,451 |
|
|
Nighthawks |
Action |
Theatrical |
$19,600,000 |
|
| |
| April 17 |
Caveman |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$15,965,000 |
|
| |
| April 24 |
Cannibal ferox |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$176,339 |
|
|
Ms. 45 |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| April 30 |
Friday the 13th Part 2 |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$21,723,267 |
|
| |
| Apr, 1981 TBD |
Bedtime for Bonzo |
Comedy |
Video |
$0 |
|
| May 1981 |
| May 1 |
Graduation Day |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$23,894,000 |
|
|
The Jazz Singer |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$27,118,000 |
|
|
King of the Mountain |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$958,637 |
|
| |
| May 8 |
The Burning |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$310 |
|
|
Loulou |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,343 |
|
|
Shoot the Sun Down |
Western |
Theatrical |
$4,254 |
|
| |
| May 13 |
Le lac des morts vivants |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| May 15 |
Happy Birthday To Me |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$10,609,514 |
|
| |
| 1981 TBD |
Take This Job and Shove It |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$17,569,000 |
|
| |
| May 20 |
Les années lumière |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| May 22 |
Bustin' Loose |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$31,261,000 |
|
|
The Four Seasons |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$42,488,161 |
|
|
Outland |
Action |
Theatrical |
$20,000,000 |
|
| |
| May 27 |
Possession |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$1,145,518 |
|
| |
| May 29 |
Polyester |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| June 1981 |
| June 5 |
Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$37,000,000 |
|
|
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$14,000,000 |
|
| |
| June 12 |
History of the World: Part I |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$31,672,000 |
|
|
Raiders of the Lost Ark |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$368,673,801 |
|
| |
| June 19 |
The Cannonball Run |
Action |
Theatrical |
$57,498,710 |
|
| |
| June 26 |
Dragonslayer |
Action |
Theatrical |
$6,000,000 |
|
|
Force: Five |
Action |
Theatrical |
$8,000,000 |
|
|
Stripes |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$85,300,000 |
|
| |
| |
| Jun, 1981 TBD |
Demonoid |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Texas Lightning |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| July 1981 |
| July 1 |
S.O.B. |
Black Comedy |
Theatrical |
$14,867,086 |
|
| |
| July 10 |
Escape from New York |
Action |
Theatrical |
$25,276,350 |
|
|
Vecinos |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| July 17 |
Arthur |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$81,464,486 |
|
| |
| July 24 |
Blow Out |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$13,748,714 |
|
| |
| July 31 |
Under the Rainbow |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$18,826,490 |
|
|
Victory |
Action |
Theatrical |
$27,453,000 |
|
| August 1981 |
| August 5 |
Les Gardiennes du Pénitencier |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| August 7 |
An Eye for an Eye |
Action |
Theatrical |
$7,496,681 |
|
|
Hell Night |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$2,300,000 |
|
|
Student Bodies |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$1,582,148 |
|
| |
| August 14 |
Quella villa accanto al cimitero |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| August 21 |
An American Werewolf in London |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$61,968,388 |
|
|
Honky Tonk Freeway |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$939,423 |
|
| |
| August 26 |
Shi Ye Sheng |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,777,785 |
|
| |
| August 28 |
Body Heat |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$24,060,803 |
|
|
Private Lessons |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$18,066,774 |
|
| September 1981 |
| September 9 |
Frightmare |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| September 18 |
Apocalypse domani |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Continental Divide |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$15,578,000 |
|
|
Raggedy Man |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$11,000,000 |
|
| |
| September 23 |
Only When I Laugh |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$25,782,304 |
|
| |
| September 25 |
Aus dem Leben der Marionetten |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$5,049 |
|
|
Carbon Copy |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$8,432,860 |
|
|
So Fine |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$10,000,000 |
|
|
Southern Comfort |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$3,582,145 |
|
| October 1981 |
| October 2 |
Paternity |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$18,838,000 |
|
| |
| October 9 |
Tattoo |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$860,472 |
|
| |
| October 21 |
The Professional |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| October 23 |
Enter the Ninja |
Action |
Theatrical |
$104,553 |
|
|
Nightmare |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
The Pit |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$212,021 |
|
| |
| October 30 |
Halloween II |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$25,533,818 |
|
|
Looker |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$3,281,232 |
|
| |
| October 31 |
Shock Treatment |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| November 1981 |
| November 6 |
Time Bandits |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$38,943,105 |
|
| |
| November 13 |
Dead & Buried |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$216,166 |
|
| |
| November 19 |
Absence of Malice |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$33,312,129 |
|
| |
| November 27 |
Just Before Dawn |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| December 1981 |
| December 9 |
La Chèvre |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Lebenszeichen |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| December 11 |
Rollover |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$10,217,873 |
|
| |
| December 18 |
Heartbeeps |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$6,000,000 |
|
| |
| December 22 |
The Prodigal Son (敗家仔) |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| December 24 |
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior |
Action |
Theatrical |
$23,668,893 |
|
| |
| December 25 |
Modern Problems |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$24,474,312 |
|
| |
| December 26 |
Alison’s Birthday |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| |
| 1981 TBD |
Will |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
