The tenner of surplus was all aboutblockbustersand franchises . However , unlike today , most of the top - grossingmovieswere base on original concepts . Creativity flourished , and a total of seven movies directed and/or produced by Steven Spielberg ( courtesy of Amblin , his production company ) were among the decade ’s biggest money - makers .
Thanks in part to Spielberg , the 1980s were an era of “ kid - favorable ” films , but Oscar - winning grownup drama , action - adventure moving-picture show , and lots ofcomedies — including action - comedies — also made big money at the box place .
While the decade boasted divers gustatory modality in damage of genres , behind - the - scene it was a unlike report . Of the 25 biggest movie of the decade , only one was directed by a woman ( Look Who ’s babble ) . The top 100 does n’t come much better , with Penny Marshall’sBigbeing the only other woman - directed pic to make “ bragging ” money ) . No POC directors appear on the leaning of the 25 highest - grossing domestic film of the eighties , based uponBox Office Report ’s data point .
1.E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(1982)
Gross:$399.8 million
A highly inventive film penned by Melissa Mathison , Harrison Ford ’s then - wife ( his scenes as a instructor were cut for time ) , and directed by Steven Spielberg , thefilm about an alienthat phones home to a removed planet won the decennium ’s boxful office betimes in the ’ 80s . Originally namedNight Skies , it was supposed to be a sequel to Spielberg’sClose Encounters of the Third Kind , but stop up being loosely based on Spielberg ’s parents ’ divorcement . After more than 40 age , it still manages to piazza in thetop 30 of lifetime revenue .
2.Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi(1983)
Gross:$263.8 million
What everyone commemorate from thethird installmentin the originalStar Warstrilogy is the lovable Ewoks , though apparently George Lucas was the only one on stage set who liked them . Other stand - out moments include a two-piece - clad Princess Leia chained to Jabba the Hutt , Yoda dying , and Darth Vader finally remove his masque .
3.Batman(1989)
Gross:$252.1 million
By the ending of the ten , superhero filmsbegan to take detention . Some people thinkMichael Keaton — who reprised his Batman role in 2023’sThe Flash — is the best Batman of all time . Director Tim Burton had to fight for Keaton , who was mainly a comedic actor . The darkcomic book adaptionset the legal profession for superhero films to come . And who could bury Prince ’s “ Batdance ” ( and his intact soundtrack ) and Jack Nicholson ’s frenzied Joker execution , years before either Heath Ledger or Joaquin Phoenix won Oscars for playing very dissimilar reading of the character . Batmanwas the first photographic film to make $ 100 million in 10 days , which made Warner Bros. very happy .
4.Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Gross:$245 million
Tom Selleck , who was star inMagnum , P.I. , was almostIndiana Jones . But CBS did n’t want Selleck to come along in the movie . Two weeks before filming start Spielberg hiredHarrison Ford , and the remainder is history . At 80 year old , Ford latterly reprised Indy for a fifth ( and last ? ) prison term inIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny .
5.Ghostbusters(1984)
Gross:$238.6 million
In the summer of 1984 , “ Who you gon na call ? ” became the catch phrase of the 10 . Based on conscientious objector - writer and actor Dan Aykroyd ’s great - grandfather real - lifeinterest in the paranormal , Ghostbustersgrew into a cosmopolitan phenomenon . It spawnedGhostbusters II(1989 ) , a female person - led reboot , and twoGhostbusters : Afterlifemovies .
6.Beverly Hills Cop(1984)
Gross:$234.8 million
Saturday Night LiveturnedEddie Murphyinto a bona fide TV wiz , andTrading Placesand48 Hoursestablished his film career . But Murphy ’s role as the potty - mouthed Alex Foley inBeverly Hills Coptransformed him into a box federal agency juggernaut . Initially , however , it was meant to be a vehicle forSylvester Stallone , who even tinkered with the screenplay . When that did n’t sour out , Daniel Petrie Jr. rewrote the playscript — and received an Oscar nominating address for his efforts . It ended up becoming thehighest - gross film of 1984and lead to two continuation , with afourth filmon the way in 2024 .
7.Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back(1980)
Gross:$222.7 million
Return of the Jedimight have give away Darth Vader ’s face , butThe Empire Strikes Backrevealed one of the big spoilers in cinema chronicle : Darth is Luke and Leia ’s daddy . ( gratefully , social media did n’t exist back then . ) The line “ No , I am your father ” isconstantly misquotedas “ Luke , I am your father . ” The second installment in the trilogy rivalsJediin being more disturbing and morecritically acclaimed . It also was the high grossing film of 1980 .
Gross:$210.6 million
With apology toFamily Ties ’ Alex P. Keaton , Marty McFly is Michael J. Fox ’s most iconic part . Co - screenwriter Bob Gale stated that studiosrejected his scriptfor the beloved time traveling drollery a whopping 40 time — sometimes more than once . Disney turned it down because they did n’t approve of the hypnotism of incest between Marty and his 1955 - era mother . That did n’t stop audiences from turning the film into a vast hit , which was followed by a pair of sequels .
9.Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade(1989)
Gross:$197.1 million
In thethird installmentof the Indiana Jones serial publication , Sean Connery play Indy ’s daddy , who ’s searching for the Holy Grail . The Last Crusadeis a sequel toRaiders of the Lost Ark , and director Spielberg brought back supporting actors Denholm Elliott and John Rhys - Davies for this adventure . The film justbarelymanaged to make more money than its predecessor , Temple of Doom .
10.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom(1984)
Gross:$179.8 million
In the summer of 1984 , the fury in “ kid - friendly”DoomandGremlinsushered in thePG-13rating . It ’s no surprisal why . Let ’s consider multitude eat chill rapscallion brain and beetles , and a toughen - small fry - up tantrum in which an evil cat performs a ritual heart remotion . “ It ’s so mean,”screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan , who write the first Indy pic , said of his reasons for lapse on writingTemple of Doom . “ There ’s nothing pleasant about it . I thinkTemple of Doomrepresents a disorderly catamenia in both [ Lucas and Spielberg ’s ] lives , and the motion picture is very ugly and mean - zippy . ”
Temple of Doomtraumatized an entire generation who just wanted to see Ford swashbuckle his way into ( future Mrs. Spielberg ) Kate Capshaw ’s mettle . The film is also notable for Ke Huy Quan ’s film first appearance as Short Round . In an aroused full - circuit here and now , Ford demonstrate Quan ’s filmEverything Everywhere All At Oncewith 2023’sBest Picture Oscar ; Quan also gain the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor .
11.Tootsie(1982)
Gross:$177.2 million
In thisgender - flex funniness , Dustin Hoffman plays an actor so desperate to get a good role that he dresses up as a woman to star in a soap opera house . Bill Murray gifted us with the channel , “ That is one nutty infirmary . ” Jessica Lange advance an Oscar for playing Hoffman ’s love interest , and the movie marked Geena Davis ’s photographic film debut .
12.Top Gun(1986)
Gross:$176.7 million
As the highest - gross celluloid of 1986,Top Gunbeat out the next motion picture on the list , Crocodile Dundee , by $ 2 million . The moving picture is based on a veridical school , and the Navy reportedly used the picture show as a recruiting shaft . Meanwhile , the songs “ Danger Zone ” and “ Take My Breath aside ” help the soundtrack sell 9 million copies . Almost 30 age afterward , Oscar - nominated sequelTop Gun : Maverickhit another pop refinement milepost when it amassed an outstanding$1.49 billion worldwide gross .
13.Crocodile Dundee(1986)
Gross:$174.8 million
With a budget of around $ 8 million , Paul Hogan’sCrocodile Dundeebecame the highest - gross moving picture in Australia ’s chronicle and the second highest - grossing U.S. film in 1986 . At the time , it was the highest - grossing non - U.S. motion-picture show at the American box office . Paul Hogan won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a comedy , and the screenplay — co - compose by Hogan — received an Oscar nomination . Two subsequence followed , but neither one managed to appropriate the success of the original film .
14.Rain Man(1988)
Gross:$172.8 million
Rain Manwas the highest - grossing picture of 1988 , which is impressive considering the mid - budget drama ( $ 25 million ) was the only drama to top the ’ eighty box office chart any year . It won Best Picture , Best Director for Barry Levinson , and Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman . Raymond ( Hoffman ) and his brother Charlie ( Tom Cruise ) take a chaotic road slip from Cincinnati to L.A. ( with a lucrative stop in Vegas ) . It ’s the second time Hoffman appear on the tilt with an Oscar - make headway film .
15.Three Men and a Baby(1987)
Gross:$167.7 million
Three Men and a Baby(which is based on the 1985 French filmThree Men and a Cradle ) sees three roomie and pals — Ted Danson , Steve Guttenberg , and Tom Selleck — ring together to advance a small fry . Of course , hijinks ensue . An urban legend formed around the movie because ofa ghostly figurein the background , which turned out to just be a composition board cutout of Danson . The movie became the highest - gross celluloid of 1987 , which precede to both a sequel ( Three Men and a Little Lady ) and a TV show ( Baby Daddy , which ran from 2012 to 2017 ) .
16.Fatal Attraction(1987)
Gross:$156.6 million
WhereasThree Men and a Babywas a funniness , there was n’t anything amusing aboutFatal Attraction , the secondly - high grossing flick of 1987 . hit on a $ 14 million budget , Glenn airless stars as Alex Forrest , who has an affair with a married piece , played by Michael Douglas . She does n’t wish to be “ ignored , ” so she boils his daughter ’s bunny rabbit . The motion-picture show earned six Oscar nominations , including one for Best Picture and a Best Lead Actress nod for Close , who has said she did n’t recollect of Alex as a scoundrel . In 2023 , a TV series based on the film , star Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan , premiere on Paramount+ .
17.Who Framed Roger Rabbit(1988)
Gross:$154.1 million
18.Beverly Hills Cop II(1987)
Gross:$153.6 million
Three long time after the unbelievable winner ofBeverly Hills Cop , Alex Foley returned for a sequel . This prison term around , Foley reteams with Billy Rosewood and John Taggart to prevent a robbery . Chris Rock makes an show as a parking valet . Though it grossed less than its predecessor , Beverly Hills Cop IIreceived an Oscar nomination for Best Song , Bob Seger ’s “ Shakedown . ”
19.Gremlins(1984)
Gross:$153 million
exchangeable toTemple of Doom , this black , not - for - kids horror - comedyhelped invent the PG-13 evaluation . ThoughGremlinswas released in the summer , it ’s now known as aChristmas horror moving-picture show . We have Joe Dante , Chris Columbus , and Spielberg to thank for creating Gizmo the Mogwai , the Gremlins , and the rule for taking tending of a pet Mogwai . In 1990,Gremlins II : The Next Batch , a less dark and more laughable , sequel arrived .
20.Rambo: First Blood Part II(1985)
Gross:$150.4 million
Sylvester Stallone star as U.S. Army Special Forces veteran John Rambo , a different kind of veterinary compared to the gentleman inPlatoon . Stallone co - spell 1982’sFirst roue , and he co - wrote the sequel with futureAvatardirector James Cameron . Rambo : First Blood Part IIis the onlyRambofilm to be nominated for an Oscar ( Best Sound Effects Editing ) , but it stop up gain five Razzie Awards . Three sequels follow , including 2019’sRambo : Last parentage .
21.Lethal Weapon 2(1989)
Gross:$147.3 million
Mel Gibson stars as unhinged LAPD detective Martin Riggs , who gets partner off with police detective Roger Murtaugh ( Danny Glover ) . ForLethal arm , screenwriter Shane Black combined buddy - pig with action and funniness , creating a genre all its own . However , Warner Bros. felt Black ’s vision for the sequel was too dark — Riggs give-up the ghost . Eventually , Black walked out from re - writing it . InLethal Weapon 2 , Joe Pesci makes his first appearance as “ OK , OK , hunky-dory ” fast talker Leo Getz . The first film , which was put out in 1987 , only gross $ 65 million ; the sequel more than doubled that .
22.Look Who’s Talking(1989)
Gross:$140 million
By the late ’ 80 , Amy Heckerling was best known for directing the raunchy teen comedyFast Times at Ridgemont High . So she wrote and directed afamily - friendly comedyabout a talking baby , voiced byBruce Willis . Kirstie Alley star as a single mama who falls in dear with a taxicab driver , play by John Travolta . ( Fun fact : The picture show instigate theE*TRADE child . ) With a $ 7.5 million budget , bet Who ’s Talkingstands as the large hit of Heckerling ’s career . She signed on forLook Who ’s Talking Tooand create fibre for the short - live telecasting spin - offBaby talk of the town , but was n’t involve inLook Who ’s Talking Now .
23.Platoon(1986)
Gross:$138.5 million
Writer - director Oliver Stone function in Vietnam and became the first Vietnam veteran to make a film about the war . His familiarity with the subject register : In 1987,Platoonwon Best Picture and Best Director for Stone . Stone went on to make two other Vietnam films , Born on the Fourth of July(1989 ) andHeaven and Earth(1993 ) .
24.Honey, I Shrunk the Kids(1989)
Gross:$130.7 million
In this grammatically faulty - titledDisney film , Rick Moranis portrays a scientist who accidentally shrinks his Thomas Kyd . They have no choice but to champion themselves against piranha in their backyard . to begin with , repulsion filmmaker Stuart Gordon co - created the story and was hypothesise to direct , but Joe Johnston replaced him . It became what was then the highest - grossing live - activity Disney motion picture at the time . Two sequels and a TV show followed .
25.An Officer and a Gentleman(1982)
Gross:$129.7 million
Richard Gere plays a U.S. Navy Aviation Officer candidate who falls in love life with Debra Winger . Louis Gossett Jr. won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Gere ’s hard - nosed sergeant , make him the Black worker to win the honour . The movie is also known for the Oscar - nominated song “ Up Where We go ” and the iconicendingin which Gere literally sweeps Winger off her feet .
