The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

The Return of the Living Dead
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $14,237,880Details
International Box Office $948Details
Worldwide Box Office $14,238,828
Home Market Performance
Est. Domestic Blu-ray Sales $449,005 Details
Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $449,005
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,403,169 (30.9% of total gross)
Legs:3.23 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.6 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,506 opening theaters/1,506 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $43,235,023

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,662 $14,237,880
All Time International Box Office (Rank 30,201-30,300) 30,207 $948
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,599 $14,238,828
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,670 $14,237,880
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,021 $948
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,066 $14,238,828

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: August 16th, 1985 (Wide) by Orion Pictures
International Releases: September 1st, 2022 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 24th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: September 14th, 2010 by MGM Video
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 91 minutes
Franchise: Return of the Living Dead
Comparisons: vs. Chernobyl Diaries
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Zombies, Horror Comedy
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Horror
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Labor Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 412 $5,434,390 Aug 30, 1985 17

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,662 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,489 $43,235,023
All Time Domestic Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 702 $14,237,880
Top 1985 Movies at the Domestic Box Office 57 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 975 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,140 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 427 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 401-500) 404 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,670 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 47 $14,237,880

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 16, 1985 4 $4,403,169   1,506 $2,924   $4,403,169 1
Aug 23, 1985 6 $2,780,425 -37% 1,500 $1,854   $9,282,027 2
Aug 30, 1985 13 $1,755,421 -37% 945 $1,858   $12,176,721 3
Sep 6, 1985 15 $849,238 -52% 690 $1,231   $13,323,406 4
Sep 13, 1985 15 $628,423 -26% 608 $1,034   $14,237,880 5

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 16, 1985 4 $6,501,602   1,506 $4,317   $6,501,602 1
Aug 23, 1985 6 $3,919,698 -40% 1,500 $2,613   $10,421,300 2
Aug 30, 1985 13 $2,052,868 -48% 945 $2,172   $12,474,168 3
Sep 6, 1985 13 $1,135,289 -45% 690 $1,645   $13,609,457 4

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
New Zealand 9/1/2022 $0 0 1 7 $948 10/29/2024
 
International Total$948 10/29/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 30,201-30,300) 30,207 $948
All Time International Sequel Box Office (Rank 1,401-1,500) 1,434 $948
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,628 $948
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 26,201-26,300) 26,278 $948
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,078 $948
All Time International Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,828 $948
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,021 $948
All Time International Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 15 $948

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,599 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Sequel Box Office (Rank 901-1,000) 905 $14,238,828
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 58 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,201-1,300) 1,223 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 5,701-5,800) 5,759 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 501-600) 505 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 401-500) 458 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,066 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 48 $14,238,828

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
Oct 23, 2022512,812 12,812$381,926$381,926632

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Uncategorized

Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.    Spider
Clu Gulager    Burt Wilson
James Karen    Frank

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

Production and Technical Credits

Dan O’Bannon    Director
John A. Russo    Story by

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

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$4,403,169 (30.9% of total gross)
Legs:3.23 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$4,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.6 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,506 opening theaters/1,506 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $43,235,023

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,662 $14,237,880
All Time International Box Office (Rank 30,201-30,300) 30,207 $948
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,599 $14,238,828
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,670 $14,237,880
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,021 $948
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,066 $14,238,828

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: August 16th, 1985 (Wide) by Orion Pictures
International Releases: September 1st, 2022 (Limited) (New Zealand)
October 24th, 2024 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: September 14th, 2010 by MGM Video
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 91 minutes
Franchise: Return of the Living Dead
Comparisons: vs. Chernobyl Diaries
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Zombies, Horror Comedy
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Horror
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Science Fiction
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Labor Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 412 $5,434,390 Aug 30, 1985 17

Uncategorized

Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.    Spider
Clu Gulager    Burt Wilson
James Karen    Frank

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

Production and Technical Credits

Dan O’Bannon    Director
John A. Russo    Story by

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 4,601-4,700) 4,662 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 3,401-3,500) 3,489 $43,235,023
All Time Domestic Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 702 $14,237,880
Top 1985 Movies at the Domestic Box Office 57 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 975 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,101-4,200) 4,140 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 427 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 401-500) 404 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 1,601-1,700) 1,670 $14,237,880
All Time Domestic Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 47 $14,237,880

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 16, 1985 4 $4,403,169   1,506 $2,924   $4,403,169 1
Aug 23, 1985 6 $2,780,425 -37% 1,500 $1,854   $9,282,027 2
Aug 30, 1985 13 $1,755,421 -37% 945 $1,858   $12,176,721 3
Sep 6, 1985 15 $849,238 -52% 690 $1,231   $13,323,406 4
Sep 13, 1985 15 $628,423 -26% 608 $1,034   $14,237,880 5

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Aug 16, 1985 4 $6,501,602   1,506 $4,317   $6,501,602 1
Aug 23, 1985 6 $3,919,698 -40% 1,500 $2,613   $10,421,300 2
Aug 30, 1985 13 $2,052,868 -48% 945 $2,172   $12,474,168 3
Sep 6, 1985 13 $1,135,289 -45% 690 $1,645   $13,609,457 4

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
New Zealand 9/1/2022 $0 0 1 7 $948 10/29/2024
 
International Total$948 10/29/2024

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 30,201-30,300) 30,207 $948
All Time International Sequel Box Office (Rank 1,401-1,500) 1,434 $948
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 2,601-2,700) 2,628 $948
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 26,201-26,300) 26,278 $948
All Time International Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,078 $948
All Time International Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,828 $948
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 4,001-4,100) 4,021 $948
All Time International Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 15 $948

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 6,501-6,600) 6,599 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Sequel Box Office (Rank 901-1,000) 905 $14,238,828
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 58 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 1,201-1,300) 1,223 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 5,701-5,800) 5,759 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Science Fiction Movies (Rank 501-600) 505 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Horror Movies (Rank 401-500) 458 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 2,001-2,100) 2,066 $14,238,828
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Orion Pictures Movies 48 $14,238,828

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week		% ChangeTotal
Units		Spending
this
Week		Total
Spending		Weeks
in
Release
Oct 23, 2022512,812 12,812$381,926$381,926632

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.