 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | 1981 | Jan 30, 1981 | $10,000,000 | $20,259,961 | $20,259,961 | $3,721,971 | 47.6 |
 | Sphinx | 1981 | Feb 13, 1981 | $10,200,000 | $2,022,771 | $2,022,771 | $-10,967,506 | 18.2 |
 | All Night Long | 1981 | Mar 6, 1981 | $15,000,000 | $4,454,295 | $4,454,295 | $-14,929,822 | 24.9 |
 | Back Roads | 1981 | Mar 13, 1981 | $8,000,000 | $11,809,387 | $11,809,387 | $-1,094,960 | 28.1 |
 | Modern Romance | 1981 | Mar 13, 1981 | $3,150,000 | $2,863,642 | $2,863,642 | $-1,275,722 | 35.9 |
 | The Funhouse | 1981 | Mar 13, 1981 | $2,000,000 | $7,886,857 | $7,886,857 | $3,690,274 | 48.5 |
 | The Final Conflict | 1981 | Mar 20, 1981 | $6,000,000 | $20,471,382 | $20,471,382 | $10,252,536 | 56.9 |
 | Eyes of a Stranger | 1981 | Mar 27, 1981 | $1,230,000 | $1,118,634 | $1,118,634 | $-1,276,229 | 21.5 |
 | Excalibur | 1981 | Apr 10, 1981 | $11,000,000 | $34,967,437 | $34,968,405 | $17,289,578 | 80.3 |
 | Nighthawks | 1981 | Apr 10, 1981 | $5,000,000 | $14,905,359 | $14,905,359 | $4,905,019 | 56.4 |
 | This Is Elvis | 1981 | Apr 10, 1981 | $1,200,000 | $2,028,612 | $2,028,612 | $546,751 | 25.7 |
 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | 1981 | Apr 24, 1981 | $588,000 | $534,816 | $534,816 | $-632,266 | 15.1 |
 | The Hand | 1981 | Apr 24, 1981 | $6,500,000 | $2,447,576 | $2,447,576 | $-5,677,182 | 28.7 |
 | Friday the 13th: Part 2 | 1981 | Apr 30, 1981 | $1,250,000 | $21,722,776 | $21,722,975 | $20,418,082 | 68.2 |
 | King of the Mountain | 1981 | May 1, 1981 | $2,000,000 | $1,791,147 | $1,791,147 | $-1,877,968 | 13.2 |
 | Bustin' Loose | 1981 | May 22, 1981 | $11,000,000 | $31,261,269 | $31,261,269 | $12,227,952 | 52.2 |
 | Outland | 1981 | May 22, 1981 | $14,000,000 | $17,374,595 | $17,374,595 | $-2,222,054 | 60.0 |
 | The Four Seasons | 1981 | May 22, 1981 | $6,500,000 | $50,427,646 | $50,427,646 | $31,356,564 | 65.1 |
 | The Legend of the Lone Ranger | 1981 | May 22, 1981 | $18,000,000 | $12,617,845 | $12,617,845 | $-18,286,616 | 32.2 |
 | History of the World: Part I | 1981 | Jun 12, 1981 | $10,000,000 | $31,672,907 | $31,672,907 | $16,442,680 | 77.2 |
 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 | Jun 12, 1981 | $18,000,000 | $212,222,025 | $212,222,025 | $127,866,721 | 97.2 |
 | Superman II | 1981 | Jun 19, 1981 | $54,000,000 | $108,185,706 | $216,385,706 | $46,460,851 | 92.8 |
 | The Cannonball Run | 1981 | Jun 19, 1981 | $18,000,000 | $72,179,579 | $72,179,579 | $33,600,072 | 77.1 |
 | Dragonslayer | 1981 | Jun 26, 1981 | $18,000,000 | $14,110,013 | $14,110,172 | $-10,417,490 | 59.1 |
 | For Your Eyes Only | 1981 | Jun 26, 1981 | $28,000,000 | $54,812,802 | $54,812,948 | $13,727,986 | 85.6 |
 | Stripes | 1981 | Jun 26, 1981 | $10,000,000 | $85,297,000 | $85,297,000 | $53,635,660 | 87.7 |
 | The Great Muppet Caper | 1981 | Jun 26, 1981 | $14,000,000 | $31,206,251 | $31,206,251 | $9,832,688 | 72.1 |
 | Arthur | 1981 | Jul 17, 1981 | $7,000,000 | $95,461,682 | $95,461,682 | $65,004,112 | 83.6 |
 | Endless Love | 1981 | Jul 17, 1981 | $9,700,000 | $31,184,024 | $32,492,674 | $11,896,478 | 58.4 |
 | Wolfen | 1981 | Jul 24, 1981 | $17,000,000 | $10,626,725 | $10,626,725 | $-11,369,224 | 50.5 |
 | Under the Rainbow | 1981 | Jul 31, 1981 | $18,000,000 | $18,826,490 | $18,826,490 | $-6,473,132 | 34.2 |
 | Student Bodies | 1981 | Aug 7, 1981 | $510,000 | $5,165,432 | $5,165,432 | $4,912,420 | 34.3 |
 | Prince of the City | 1981 | Aug 19, 1981 | $8,600,000 | $8,124,257 | $8,124,257 | $-3,536,050 | 49.1 |
 | An American Werewolf in London | 1981 | Aug 21, 1981 | $5,800,000 | $30,565,292 | $30,716,821 | $18,437,900 | 83.6 |
 | Honky Tonk Freeway | 1981 | Aug 21, 1981 | $24,000,000 | $2,004,742 | $2,004,742 | $-28,030,732 | 16.7 |
 | Body Heat | 1981 | Aug 28, 1981 | $9,000,000 | $24,058,838 | $24,058,838 | $9,210,128 | 71.3 |
 | Private Lessons | 1981 | Aug 28, 1981 | $2,800,000 | $26,279,000 | $26,279,000 | $19,443,250 | 39.9 |
 | Continental Divide | 1981 | Sep 18, 1981 | $9,000,000 | $15,578,237 | $15,578,237 | $1,511,678 | 46.4 |
 | Raggedy Man | 1981 | Sep 18, 1981 | $9,000,000 | $1,976,198 | $1,976,198 | $-9,770,422 | 26.6 |
 | Chariots of Fire | 1981 | Sep 25, 1981 | $11,850,000 | $58,972,904 | $58,972,904 | $39,415,865 | 83.5 |
 | Zoot Suit | 1981 | Oct 2, 1981 | $2,700,000 | $3,256,082 | $3,256,082 | $-813,499 | 26.8 |
 | Silence of the North | 1981 | Oct 23, 1981 | $1,785,000 | $1,622,898 | $1,622,898 | $-1,683,392 | 14.2 |
 | Halloween II | 1981 | Oct 30, 1981 | $2,500,000 | $25,533,818 | $25,533,818 | $21,065,364 | 71.9 |
 | Time Bandits | 1981 | Nov 6, 1981 | $5,000,000 | $42,365,581 | $42,365,581 | $30,420,186 | 82.8 |
 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | 1981 | Nov 13, 1981 | $14,000,000 | $3,702,028 | $3,702,028 | $-13,405,499 | 17.8 |
 | Absence of Malice | 1981 | Nov 20, 1981 | $14,667,000 | $40,716,963 | $40,716,963 | $16,152,322 | 70.0 |
 | Ragtime | 1981 | Nov 20, 1981 | $32,000,000 | $14,920,781 | $14,920,781 | $-25,464,414 | 54.1 |
 | Whose Life Is It Anyway? | 1981 | Dec 2, 1981 | $11,500,000 | $8,206,145 | $8,206,145 | $-7,162,453 | 37.9 |
 | On Golden Pond | 1981 | Dec 4, 1981 | $15,000,000 | $119,285,432 | $119,285,432 | $76,592,617 | 84.1 |
 | Reds | 1981 | Dec 4, 1981 | $32,000,000 | $40,382,659 | $40,382,788 | $-4,020,954 | 74.5 |
 | Taps | 1981 | Dec 9, 1981 | $14,000,000 | $35,856,053 | $35,856,053 | $14,047,040 | 69.4 |
 | Buddy Buddy | 1981 | Dec 11, 1981 | $4,286,000 | $7,258,543 | $7,258,543 | $303,122 | 34.2 |
 | Pennies from Heaven | 1981 | Dec 11, 1981 | $22,000,000 | $9,171,289 | $9,171,289 | $-18,990,246 | 44.9 |
 | Rollover | 1981 | Dec 11, 1981 | $16,000,000 | $10,851,261 | $10,851,261 | $-11,121,067 | 28.3 |
 | Ghost Story | 1981 | Dec 16, 1981 | $13,500,000 | $23,371,905 | $23,371,905 | $2,516,929 | 53.3 |
 | Cinderella | 1981 | Dec 18, 1981 | $2,200,000 | $28,040,000 | $28,040,000 | $23,485,000 | 82.3 |
 | Heartbeeps | 1981 | Dec 18, 1981 | $12,000,000 | $2,154,696 | $2,154,696 | $-12,922,774 | 16.7 |
 | Neighbors | 1981 | Dec 18, 1981 | $8,500,000 | $29,916,207 | $29,916,207 | $14,444,155 | 57.5 |
 | Sharky's Machine | 1981 | Dec 18, 1981 | $17,500,000 | $35,610,100 | $35,610,100 | $8,509,575 | 61.2 |
 | Modern Problems | 1981 | Dec 25, 1981 | $8,000,000 | $26,154,211 | $26,154,211 | $11,131,658 | 47.6 |