1988 in film explained
The following is an overview of events in 1988 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Highest-grossing films
See also: List of 1988 box office number-one films in the United States. The top 10 films released in 1988 by worldwide gross are as follows:[1]
Highest-grossing films of 1988| Rank | Title | Distributor | Worldwide gross |
|---|
| 1 | Rain Man | MGM | $354,825,435 |
|---|
| 2 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Buena Vista | $329,803,958 |
|---|
| 3 | Coming to America | | $288,752,301 |
|---|
| 4 | Crocodile Dundee II | $239,606,210 |
|---|
| 5 | Twins | Universal | $216,614,388 |
|---|
| 6 | Rambo III | TriStar / Carolco | $189,015,611 |
|---|
| 7 | A Fish Called Wanda | MGM | $188,597,000[2] [3] [4] |
|---|
| 8 | Cocktail | Buena Vista | $171,504,781 |
|---|
| 9 | Big | 20th Century Fox | $151,668,774 |
|---|
| 10 | Die Hard | $141,500,000 | |
|---|
Events
- May 25 – Rambo III is released as the most expensive film ever made with a production budget between $58 and $63 million. The film fails to match the box office earnings from (1985).
- July 15 – Die Hard defies low commercial expectations to gross $141.5 million worldwide. Hailed as an influential landmark in the action film genre, it influences a common formula for many action films in the 1990s, featuring a lone everyman against a colorful terrorist character who is usually holding hostages in an isolated setting.
- September 19 – English character actor Roy Kinnear suffers a fall from a horse which will prove fatal while filming The Return of the Musketeers in Toledo, Spain.[5]
- October 10 – Batman officially commences filming at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.
- October 27 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is released on VHS and laserdisc; to combat piracy, the tapeguards and tape hubs on the videocassettes are colored green, and the tape itself is affixed with a small, holographic sticker of the 1963 Universal logo (much like the holograms on a credit card), and encoded with Macrovision. In North America alone, VHS sales come to $75million.[6]
- December 16 – Rain Man is released to critical and commercial success and becomes the highest grossing film of 1988 worldwide with a gross of $355 million. Winning four Academy Awards including Best Picture, it is the last MGM title to be nominated for Best Picture until Licorice Pizza (2021) 33 years later.
Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival)
Pelle the Conqueror (Pelle erobreren), directed by Bille August, Denmark
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival)
La leggenda del santo bevitore (The Legend of the Holy Drinker), directed by Ermanno Olmi, Italy / France
Golden Bear (Berlin International Film Festival)
Red Sorghum (Hong gao liang), directed by Zhang Yimou, China
1988 films
By country/region
By genre/medium
Births
- January 3 - Karl Glusman, American actor
- January 6 - Mehwish Hayat, Pakistani actress
- January 7 – Haley Bennett, American actress and singer
- January 12 – Andrew Lawrence, American actor
- January 14 - Tom Rosenthal, English actor, comedian and writer
- January 15 - Eddie Hall, British retired strongman and actor
- January 21 - John Early, American comedian and actor
- February 2
- February 6 – Anna Diop, Senegalese-born American actress[7]
- February 8 - Ryan Pinkston, American actor
- February 11 - Jazz Raycole, American actress
- February 12
- February 13
- February 16 - Steven Caple Jr., American director, producer and screenwriter
- February 17 – Nagita Slavina, Indonesian actress, television host, film producer, and singer
- February 18 - Sarah Sutherland, Canadian-American actress
- February 20 – Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter and actress
- February 29
- March 4
- March 14 – Stephen Curry, American basketball player
- March 21 - Kevin Guthrie, Scottish actor
- March 22 - Tania Raymonde, American actress
- March 24 - Finn Jones, English actor
- March 25 - Erik Knudsen, Canadian actor
- March 27 – Brenda Song, American actress, singer and model
- March 27 – Holliday Grainger, English actress
- April 2 - Jesse Plemons, American actor
- April 3 - Ruby Bentall, English actress
- April 4 - Maggie Geha, American actress and model
- April 6 – Mike Bailey, English actor
- April 10 – Haley Joel Osment, American actor
- April 13
- April 14
- April 18 – Allison Williams, American actress
- April 18 – Vanessa Kirby, English actress
- April 21 - Robbie Amell, Canadian actor and producer
- April 23 – Carla Quevedo, Argentine actress
- April 25
- April 27
- April 30 – Ana de Armas, Cuban actress
- May 1
- May 2 - Laura Brent, Australian actress
- May 7 - Brandon Jones, American actor, producer and musician
- May 16 - Jermaine Fowler, American actor, comedian, producer and writer
- May 17 – Nikki Reed, American actress and writer
- June 2 – Awkwafina, American actress, comedian, writer, producer and rapper
- June 4 – Li Man, Chinese actress
- June 5 – Nuh Omar, Pakistani writer and director
- June 7 – Michael Cera, Canadian actor
- June 9
- June 13 - Cody Walker, American actor
- June 14 - Dayo Okeniyi, Nigerian-American actor
- June 16 - Jonny Weston, American actor
- June 22 - Shefali Chowdhury, British actress
- June 23
- June 25 - Daniel Webber, Australian actor
- July 2 - Edward Randell, English musician and actor
- July 7 - Jack Whitehall, English actor, comedian, presenter and writer
- July 10 - Pavlo Lee, Ukrainian actor (died 2022)
- July 12 – Christine Marie Cabanos, American voice actress
- July 13 - Chris Sheffield, American actor
- July 14 - Elise Gatien, Canadian actress
- July 15 - Aimee Carrero, Dominican-born American actress
- July 18 - Chen Tang, Chinese-American actor
- July 19 – Cherami Leigh, American voice actress
- July 20
- July 24 - Joe Pera, American comedian, writer and actor
- July 25 - Mamoudou Athie, Mauritanian-American actor and producer
- July 26 - Francia Raisa, American actress
- July 30 - Nico Tortorella, American actor and model
- July 31 - Charlie Carver, American actor
- August 1 - Max Carver, American actor
- August 16
- August 17 - Joyner Lucas, American rapper and actor
- August 24 – Rupert Grint, English actor[8]
- August 26
- August 27 – Alexa PenaVega, American actress and singer
- September 6 – Jovan Adepo, English actor
- September 12
- September 17 - Ritu Arya, English actress
- September 22 – Sana Saeed, Indian actress
- September 26 - Lilly Singh, Canadian comedian, former talk show host and YouTuber
- September 28
- October 1 - Nick Whitaker, American actor
- October 3 – Alicia Vikander, Swedish actress
- October 4 – Melissa Benoist, American actress, singer and dancer
- October 5 - Bobby Edner, American actor and singer
- October 6 - Everlyn Sampi, Australian actress
- October 17 - Dee Jay Daniels, American former actor
- October 18 – Tessa Schram, Dutch actress and director
- October 21
- October 22
- October 23 - Ritesh Rajan, American actor
- October 28 - Edd Gould, British animator, artist, writer, director and voice actor (died 2012)
- October 29 – Devon Murray, Irish actor
- November 6 – Emma Stone, American actress
- November 9
- November 17 - Justin Cooper, American producer and former child actor
- November 20 - Demetrius Shipp Jr., American actor
- November 22
- November 26 - Tamsin Egerton, English actress
- November 30 - Rebecca Rittenhouse, American actress
- December 1
- December 2 – Alfred Enoch, English actor
- December 7
- December 14 – Vanessa Hudgens, American actress and singer
- December 15 - Gregg Chillin, English actor and writer
- December 16
- December 17 – Rin Takanashi, Japanese actress and model
- December 21 - Shelley Regner, American actress and singer
- December 27 - Hera Hilmar, Icelandic actress
- unknown - Celine Song,Korean-Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter
Deaths
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|
| January | 1 | | 79 | Germany | Actor | |
| 7 | | 65 | France | Actor | |
| 7 | | 74 | UK | Actor | |
| 8 | | 72 | US | Stuntman, Actor | |
| 10 | | 55 | US | Film Editor, Director | |
| 16 | | 83 | UK | Actor | |
| 19 | | 75 | UK | Screenwriter | |
| 19 | | 77 | US | Art Director | |
| 25 | | 88 | US | Actress | |
| February | 1 | | 58 | French | Actor | |
| 1 | | 12 | US | Actress | |
| 5 | | 85 | Hungary | Screenwriter, Director | |
| 8 | | 67 | Australia | Actor | |
| 14 | | 86 | Germany | Composer | |
| 28 | | 86 | Japan | Cinematographer | |
| 29 | | 80 | US | Producer, Screenwriter | |
| March | 1 | | 80 | US | Actor | |
| 3 | | 93 | US | Actress | |
| 5 | Alberto Olmedo[9] | 54 | Argentina | Actor, Comedian | |
| 6 | | 82 | France | Actress | |
| 7 | | 42 | US | Actor | |
| 7 | | 83 | US | Actor | |
| 12 | | 79 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 12 | | 56 | US | Actress | |
| 13 | | 71 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 13 | | 43 | US | Actor | |
| 13 | | 92 | US | Actress | |
| 27 | | 55 | Italy | Actor | |
| 31 | | 82 | Philippines | Actor, Director | |
| April | 1 | | 91 | US | Actor | |
| 5 | | 68 | Sweden | Actor, Director | |
| 6 | | 77 | UK | Actor | |
| 7 | | 86 | US | Director | |
| 11 | | 66 | US | Actress | |
| 11 | | 77 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 15 | | 62 | UK | Actor | |
| 21 | | 67 | Moldovia | Screenwriter | |
| 22 | | 96 | US | Actress | |
| 28 | | 80 | UK | Actor | |
| May | 1 | | 81 | Italy | Actor | |
| 4 | | 58 | US | Sound Engineer | |
| 5 | George Rose[10] | 68 | UK | Actor | |
| 12 | | 86 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 15 | | 64 | US | Actor | |
| 15 | | 82 | Norway | Actress | |
| 18 | | 71 | US | Voice Actor | |
| 18 | | 72 | UK | Actor | |
| 18 | | 43 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 21 | | 67 | France | Actress | |
| 22 | | 74 | US | Lyricist | |
| 29 | | 59 | Czech Republic | Actor | |
| 30 | Ella Raines[11] | 67 | US | Actress | |
| June | 2 | Raj Kapoor[12] | 63 | India | Actor, Director, Producer | |
| 16 | | 37 | US | Actor | |
| 18 | | 58 | US | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 19 | | 82 | Japan | Actor | |
| 22 | | 77 | US | Singer, Actor | |
| 22 | | 78 | US | Actor | |
| July | 1 | | 60 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | | 78 | Italy | Cinematographer | |
| 7 | | 68 | UK | Actor | |
| 12 | | 79 | US | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 22 | | 84 | US | Cinematographer | |
| 22 | | 56 | UK | Actor | |
| 25 | | 10 | US | Actress | |
| 25 | | 59 | UK | Director | |
| 27 | | 81 | US | Animator, Screenwriter | |
| 31 | | 38 | US | Actor | |
| August | 1 | | 86 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | | 73 | US | Art Director | |
| 5 | | 47 | France | Director, Producer, Screenwriter | |
| 5 | | 65 | US | Actor | |
| 7 | | 82 | US | Animator | |
| 8 | | 85 | UK | Actor | |
| 10 | | 94 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 11 | | 59 | US | Actress | |
| 17 | | 53 | Australia | Actress | |
| 19 | | 74 | US | Actor | |
| 23 | | 75 | US | Screenwriter, Director | |
| 24 | | 49 | US | Actor | |
| 26 | | 76 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 27 | | 88 | Ireland | Actor | |
| September | 1 | | 86 | US | Set Decorator | |
| 5 | | 75 | Germany | Actor | |
| 6 | | 93 | US | Cinematographer | |
| 12 | | 61 | UK | Production Designer | |
| 14 | | 73 | US | Actor | |
| 15 | | 74 | US | Film Editor | |
| 20 | | 54 | UK | Actor | |
| 21 | | 83 | Germany | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 21 | | 63 | UK | Actress | |
| 30 | | 83 | US | Actor | |
| October | 1 | Lucien Ballard[13] | 84 | US | Cinematographer | |
| 1 | | 62 | Yugoslavia | Actor | |
| 4 | | 76 | UK | Actress | |
| 6 | | 86 | US | Actor | |
| 9 | | 84 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 11 | | 90 | US | Actor | |
| 11 | | 65 | US | Actress | |
| 12 | | 85 | US | Actor, Producer | |
| 13 | | 75 | US | Screenwriter, Director | |
| 14 | | 72 | Fiji | Actress | |
| 19 | | 80 | US | Special Effects Artist | |
| 24 | | 85 | UK | Actress | |
| 25 | | 83 | US | Animator | |
| 27 | | 73 | UK | Actor | |
| 31 | | 86 | Romania | Actor, Producer | |
| November | 1 | | 90 | US | Cinematographer | |
| 2 | | 58 | Germany | Screenwriter | |
| 3 | | 75 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 6 | | 74 | US | Actor | |
| 9 | | 79 | US | Actor | |
| 15 | | 84 | UK | Actress | |
| 27 | | 32 | US | Actress | |
| 27 | | 82 | US | Actor | |
| December | 7 | | 47 | US | Actor | |
| 7 | | 82 | US | Actress | |
| 8 | | 79 | US | Actress | |
| 15 | | 90 | Italy | Costume Designer | |
| 10 | | 55 | US | Actor | |
| 10 | | 90 | UK | Actor, Composer | |
| 17 | | 81 | US | Director | |
| 21 | | 81 | US | Actor | |
| 22 | | 52 | US | Actor, Dancer | |
| 24 | | 70 | Ireland | Actor | |
| 26 | | 88 | US | Actress | |
| 26 | | 90 | UK | Actor | |
| 27 | | 59 | US | Director, Film Editor | | |
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 1988 Worldwide Box Office . Box Office Mojo. IMDb. March 7, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201028230957/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1988/ . October 28, 2020 . dead.
- Web site: A Fish Called Wanda (1988) . Box Office Mojo. April 7, 2020. A Fish Called Wanda domestic gross $62,493,712.
- Variety. August 9, 1989. Groves. Don. 11. UIP Up, Up and Away For Year; Rentals Take Off. UIP Top 10 Grossers, 1988–89
Rain Man $233 million
Crocodile Dundee 2 $126 million
Coming to America $122 million
A Fish Called Wanda $115 million
Willow $80 million
Twins $75 million
The Naked Gun $61 million.
- Variety. September 11, 1995. 92. UIP's $25M-Plus Club. A Fish Called Wanda $126,103,000; The Naked Gun $73,689,000.
- News: Roy Kinnear Is Dead At 54 After Falling From Horse in Film. The New York Times. 23 September 1988. 2020-05-24.
- News: Nancy . Griffin . Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade . . June 1988.
- Web site: Mason. Aiden. 2017-08-28. Five Things You Didn't Know About Anna Diop. 2021-03-10. TVOvermind. en-US.
- Book: ((Editors of Chase's)). Chase's Calendar of Events 2020: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months. 24 September 2019. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-1-64143-316-7. 424.
- Book: David K. Frasier. Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth-century Cases. 2002. McFarland. 978-0-7864-1038-5. 244.
- News: Dominican Police Say 4 Men Killed George Rose. Dennis Hevesi. 13 May 1988. The New York Times. 2018-07-05.
- Book: Newsweek. 1988. Newsweek. 72.
- Book: Ritu Nanda. Rāja Kapūra. Raj Kapoor Speaks. 2002. Penguin Books India. 978-0-670-04952-3. 14.
- Book: John A. Willis. Screen World. 1989. Crown Publishers. 978-0-517-57332-7. 235.
