List of 1989 box office number-one films in the United States

This is a list of films which have placed number one at the weekend box office in the United States during 1989.

Number-one films †This implies the highest-grossing movie of the year. Weekend end date Film Box office Notes 1 Rain Man $9,245,626 2 $10,111,504 3 $7,003,147 4 $6,829,705 5 Three Fugitives $5,477,051 Three Fugitives reached #1 in its second weekend of release. 6 The Fly II $6,751,371 7 4-day weekend The 'Burbs $11,101,197 8 $6,024,480 9 Lean on Me $5,032,605 10 $4,579,440 11 Fletch Lives $8,045,760 12 $5,647,320 13 Rain Man $5,537,165 Rain Man reclaimed #1 in sixteenth weekend of release. 14 Major League $8,836,265 15 $7,070,809 16 Pet Sematary $12,046,179 Pet Sematary broke Friday the 13th: The Final Chapters record ($11.1 million) for the highest weekend debut in April. 17 $8,380,098 18 $6,338,594 19 See No Evil, Hear No Evil $7,098,741 20 $6,105,120 21 4-day weekend Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade $37,031,573 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade broke Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'''s records ($33.9 million) for the 4-day highest Memorial Day weekend debut as well as for the highest weekend debut of all-time. || |- | 22 || || $21,230,164 ||Biggest second weekend gross of all-time surpassing Return of the Jedi's $17.2 million. || |- | 23 || || Star Trek V: The Final Frontier || $17,375,648 || Star Trek V: The Final Frontier broke Star Trek IV: The Voyage Homes record ($16.8 million) for the highest weekend debut for a film based on a television show. || |- | 24 || || Ghostbusters II || $29,472,894 ||Ghostbusters II set a record 3-day weekend surpassing Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades record $29,355,021 set 3 weeks earlier. || |- | 25 || || rowspan="2" style="background-color:#FFFF99" | Batman † || $40,489,746 ||Batman broke Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades record ($37 million) for the highest weekend debut of all time (which had been set one month earlier). It also broke Superman IIs record ($14.1 million) for the highest weekend debut for a superhero film and Cobras record ($15.6 million) for highest weekend debut for a Warner Bros. film. It had the highest weekend debut of 1989. || |- | 26 || || $30,075,189 || Batman broke Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades record ($21.2 million) for the highest second weekend gross (which had been set one month earlier). || |- | 27 || || rowspan="3" | Lethal Weapon 2 || $20,388,800 || || |- | 28 || || $17,188,126 || || |- | 29 || || $13,022,249 || || |- | 30 || || Turner & Hooch || $12,211,042 || || |- | 31 || || rowspan="2" | Parenthood || $10,506,450 || || |- | 32 || || $9,672,350 || || |- | 33 || || rowspan="4" | Uncle Buck || $8,794,501 || || |- | 34 || || $6,725,275 || || |- | 35 || 4-day weekend || $7,822,640 || || |- | 36 || || $4,550,887 || || |- | 37 || || Sea of Love || $10,017,840 || Sea of Love broke Crocodile Dundees record ($8 million) for the highest weekend debut in September. || |- | 38 || || rowspan="3" | Black Rain || $9,677,102 || || |- | 39 || || $6,503,065 || || |- | 40 || 4-day weekend || $6,100,000 || || |- | 41 || || rowspan="5" | Look Who's Talking || $12,107,784 || Look Who's Talking broke Never Say Never Agains 1983 record ($11 million) for the highest weekend debut for a film released during the month of October. || |- | 42 || || $14,147,340 ||Look Who's Talking sets another record weekend gross for the month of October. || |- | 43 || || $11,556,750 || || |- | 44 || || $11,457,810 || || |- | 45 || || $11,409,873 || || |- | 46 || || Harlem Nights || $16,096,808 ||Biggest pre-holiday fall opening. In third place, The Little Mermaids opening ($6 million) broke The Fox and the Hounds record ($4.2 million) for the highest weekend debut for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film. || |- | 47 || || rowspan="2" | Back to the Future Part II || $27,835,125 || Back to the Future Part II broke Rocky IVs record ($19.9 million) for the highest Thanksgiving weekend debut. || |- | 48 || || $12,110,340 || || |- | 49 || || The War of the Roses || $9,488,794 || || |- | 50 || || rowspan="2" | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation || $7,233,119 || National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation reached #1 in its third weekend of release. || |- | 51 || || $7,007,789 || || |- | 52 || || The War of the Roses || $10,490,781 || The War of the Roses'' reclaimed #1 in fourth weekend of release.

Highest-grossing films

Calendar gross Highest-grossing films of 1989 for tickets sold within the calendar year Rank Title Studio(s) Actor(s) Director(s) Gross 1. Batman Warner Bros. Pictures Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough and Jack Palance Tim Burton $251,188,924 2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Paramount Pictures Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover and Sean Connery Steven Spielberg $197,171,806 3. Lethal Weapon 2 Warner Bros. Pictures Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit Richard Donner $147,253,986 4. Rain Man Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and Valeria Golino Barry Levinson $139,602,956 5. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Walt Disney Studios Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman and Kristine Sutherland Joe Johnston $130,724,172 6. Look Who's Talking TriStar Pictures John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Olympia Dukakis, George Segal, Abe Vigoda and Bruce Willis Amy Heckerling $113,455,801 7. Ghostbusters II Columbia Pictures Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts Ivan Reitman $112,494,738 8. Dead Poets Society Walt Disney Studios Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Norman Lloyd and Kurtwood Smith Peter Weir $95,860,116 9. ParenthoodUniversal Pictures Steve Martin, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest Ron Howard $95,527,843 10. Back to the Future Part II Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson, Elisabeth Shue and Jeffrey Weissman Robert Zemeckis $93,592,195

In-Year Release + Highest-grossing films of 1989 by In-year release Rank Title Distributor Domestic gross 1. Batman Warner Bros. $251,188,924 2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Paramount $197,171,806 3. Lethal Weapon 2 Warner Bros. $147,253,986 4. Look Who's Talking TriStar $140,088,813 5. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Disney $130,724,172 6. Back to the Future Part II Universal $118,450,002 7. Ghostbusters II Columbia $112,494,738 8. Driving Miss Daisy Warner Bros. $106,593,296 9. Parenthood Universal $100,047,830 10. Dead Poets Society Disney $95,860,116

+ Highest-grossing films by MPAA rating of 1989 G The Little Mermaid PG Honey, I Shrunk the Kids PG-13 Batman R Lethal Weapon 2

See also List of American films — American films by year Lists of box office number-one films

References

Chronology