Highest Earning Movies of the 80's

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – $399.8 million

With the story of lovable alien, Steven Spielberg brought tears of joy and sadness to millions of people around the globe. What you possibly didn’t know is that the story was written by Melissa Mathison, who had been married to Harrison Ford for over two decades, with their relationship ending with a divorce in 2004.

The movie scored big-time, ultimately earning $399.8 million domestically and a whopping figure of almost $800 million worldwide, making E.T. not only one of the highest grossing movies of the 80’s, but of all time.





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Return of the Jedi – $309.1 million

Released two years after The Empire Strikes Back, the film managed to top its predecessor by almost $20 million, cashing in an astonishing sum of $310 million.

Apart from a peculiar character named Jabba the Hut, Episode Six also saw the final demise of the Dark Side, with Darth Vader ultimately redeeming himself for the wrongs he had done.





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The Empire Strikes Back – $290.2 million

The second (chronologically fifth) part of the epic Star Wars franchise gets to crack open the Top 3. With its first installment in 1977, the series attracted legions of followers
Apart from a well-known storyline, the movie also features one of the most famous film quotes of all time. You probably guessed it, it’s *switch to Darth Vader voice* “I am your father.”





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Batman – $251.2 million

One of the most popular Batman incantations saw its release in 1989, featuring the infamous Joker as the main villain character.

With Michael Keaton starring as Batman, legendary Jack Nicholson as the dreaded Joker and Kim Basinger playing the role of Vicki Vale, the movie went on to gross over $250 million.





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Raiders of the Lost Ark – $242.4 million
The movie came out in 1981 as Indy’s big screen debut, propelling both the starring actor Harrison Ford and the character of Indiana onto the very top of the cinematic world, grossing a total of over $240 million.





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Ghostbusters – $238.6 million
You probably know all there is to know about this gem.





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Beverly Hills Cop – $234.8 million

Eddie Murphy is just one of those guys that can make you laugh to tears, and 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop” is no exception. With impressive earnings of just under $235 million, the series’ first installment eventually became the biggest hit of the year.

The adventures of a cheeky Detroit detective Axel Foley launched Murphy to global superstardom, earning the movie the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture along the way.





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Back to the Future – $210.6 million

As the first movie to cross the $200 million mark, 1985 box office bomb Back to the Future told the world a story of Marty McFly, a cool rock ‘n’ roll dude with a knack for guitar playing and skateboarding (and hoverboarding!). As if the regular problems of a 17-year-old weren’t enough, Marty got mixed up in some serious time traveling business with an eccentric scientist named Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown.





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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – $197.2 million

As the second installment of the massively successful Indiana Jones series, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade already had a well established name to be built upon, but also some pretty big shoes to fill. Released in 1984 as a prequel to 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, the film fetched praises from around the world, ultimately grossing almost $200 million.





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Top Gun – $176.8 million

The story of pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchel gets to kick off our Top 10 with a hefty sum of over $175 million grossed. Cool airplanes, a love story, dramatic death of a friend, the ultimate victory and survival, this film has it all. Apart from legendary Tom Cruise in the main role, the movie also features Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan as some of the starring actors.