This is a list of films produced or distributed by Universal Pictures in 1980–1989, founded in 1912 as the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. It is the main motion picture production and distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of the NBCUniversal division of Comcast.[1]
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 25, 1980 | US distribution only | |
| February 8, 1980 | The Last Married Couple in America | |
| March 7, 1980 | Coal Miner's Daughter | Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2019 |
| March 21, 1980 | Little Miss Marker | |
| April 18, 1980 | North Sea Hijack | |
| April 25, 1980 | Where the Buffalo Roam | |
| May 9, 1980 | The Nude Bomb | co-production with Time-Life Films |
| May 23, 1980 | The Gong Show Movie | |
| June 13, 1980 | The Island | co-production with Zanuck/Brown Company |
| June 20, 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2020 |
| July 18, 1980 | Cheech and Chong's Next Movie | co-production with C&C Brown Productions |
| August 8, 1980 | Xanadu | |
| August 15, 1980 | Smokey and the Bandit II | co-production with Rastar |
| September 19, 1980 | Melvin and Howard | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. |
| September 26, 1980 | In God We Tru$t | |
| Resurrection | ||
| October 3, 1980 | Somewhere in Time | co-production with Rastar |
| December 5, 1980 | Flash Gordon | US distribution only; produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1981 | The White Lions | theatrical distribution only; produced by Alan Landsburg Productions |
| 1981 | Invaders from the Deep | distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment; movie compilation of the television series Stingray |
| Burned at the Stake | theatrical distribution only; produced by Alan Landsburg Productions | |
| January 30, 1981 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | |
| March 6, 1981 | All Night Long | |
| March 13, 1981 | The Funhouse | |
| April 10, 1981 | Nighthawks | |
| April 24, 1981 | Beyond the Reef | US distribution only; produced by the Dino De Laurentiis Corporation |
| Cattle Annie and Little Britches[2] | US distribution only; produced by Hemdale Film Corporation | |
| May 1, 1981 | King of the Mountain | US distribution only; produced by PolyGram Pictures |
| May 22, 1981 | The Four Seasons | |
| Bustin' Loose | ||
| The Legend of the Lone Ranger[3] | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment and Wrather Productions | |
| June 26, 1981 | The Great Muppet Caper[4] | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment and Henson Associates |
| July 17, 1981 | Endless Love | US distribution only; produced by PolyGram Pictures |
| August 21, 1981 | An American Werewolf in London | US distribution only; produced by PolyGram Pictures and Lycanthrope Films Limited |
| Honky Tonk Freeway[5] | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by EMI Films | |
| September 18, 1981 | Continental Divide | co-production with Amblin Productions |
| Raggedy Man | ||
| October 2, 1981 | Zoot Suit | |
| October 23, 1981 | Silence of the North | |
| October 30, 1981 | Halloween II | US distribution only; produced by the Dino De Laurentiis Corporation |
| November 13, 1981 | The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper | US distribution only; produced by PolyGram Pictures |
| December 18, 1981 | Ghost Story | |
| Heartbeeps | ||
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 12, 1982 | The Border | co-production with RKO Pictures |
| On Golden Pond | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by IPC Films and ITC Films Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama. | |
| February 19, 1982 | Barbarosa | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment |
| March 5, 1982 | Evil Under the Sun | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by EMI Films and Titan Productions |
| March 12, 1982 | Missing | co-production with PolyGram Pictures Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama. |
| April 2, 1982 | A Little Sex | US distribution only; co-production with MTM Enterprises |
| Cat People | co-production with RKO Pictures | |
| May 7, 1982 | Death Valley | |
| May 14, 1982 | Conan the Barbarian | US distribution only; produced by Dino De Laurentiis Corporation |
| May 21, 1982 | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | co-production with Aspen Film Society |
| June 11, 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. co-production with Amblin Entertainment Inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994 |
| June 25, 1982 | The Thing | co-production with Turman-Foster Company |
| July 23, 1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy co-production with RKO Pictures |
| August 13, 1982 | Fast Times at Ridgemont High | co-production with Refugee Films Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2005 |
| September 26, 1982 | Moonlighting | US distribution only |
| October 22, 1982 | US distribution only; produced by the Dino De Laurentiis Corporation | |
| December 3, 1982 | Frances | |
| December 10, 1982 | Sophie's Choice | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment and Keith Barish Productions nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. |
| La Traviata | US distribution only | |
| December 17, 1982 | The Dark Crystal[6] | international and US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by ITC Entertainment and Henson Associates |
| Six Weeks | US distribution only; produced by PolyGram Pictures | |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 4, 1983 | Videodrome | distribution only; produced by Filmplan International, Canadian Film Development Corporation and Famous Players |
| February 18, 1983 | The Pirates of Penzance | |
| The Sting II | ||
| February 1983 | Second Thoughts | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by EMI Films and Turman-Foster Company |
| March 4, 1983 | Tender Mercies | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by EMI Films and Antron Media Productions Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. |
| March 23, 1983 | Eddie Macon's Run | |
| March 25, 1983 | Bad Boys | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by EMI Films |
| March 31, 1983 | Monty Python's The Meaning of Life | |
| May 6, 1983 | Doctor Detroit | |
| June 3, 1983 | Psycho II | |
| July 1, 1983 | Stroker Ace[7] | North America theatrical and international home video distribution only; co-production with Warner Bros. |
| July 15, 1983 | Puberty Blues | US distribution only |
| July 22, 1983 | Jaws 3-D | co-production with Alan Landsburg Productions |
| July 29, 1983 | Private School | |
| August 12, 1983 | Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 | |
| August 19, 1983 | US distribution only; produced by Albert Band International Productions | |
| September 2, 1983 | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence[8] | US distribution only; produced by Recorded Picture Company |
| September 9, 1983 | Nightmares | |
| September 15, 1983 | Heat and Dust[9] | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Merchant Ivory Productions |
| September 21, 1983 | Cross Creek | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment |
| September 30, 1983 | Going Berserk | |
| The Lonely Lady | US distribution only | |
| Hanna K. | ||
| October 21, 1983 | Rumble Fish | co-production with Zoetrope Studios |
| December 9, 1983 | Scarface | co-production with Martin Bregman Productions |
| December 16, 1983 | D.C. Cab | co-production with The Guber-Peters Company and RKO Pictures |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 27, 1984 | The Lonely Guy | co-production with Aspen Film Society |
| February 17, 1984 | Crackers | |
| February 1984 | Slayground | US theatrical co-distribution with Associated Film Distribution only; produced by Thorn EMI Films |
| March 2, 1984 | Repo Man | distribution only; produced by Edge City Productions |
| March 16, 1984 | Tank | co-production with Lorimar Productions |
| April 6, 1984 | Hard to Hold | |
| April 13, 1984 | Iceman | |
| May 4, 1984 | Sixteen Candles | co-production with Channel Productions |
| May 11, 1984 | Firestarter | North America and select international theatrical distribution only; produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company |
| June 1, 1984 | Streets of Fire | co-production with RKO Pictures and Hill-Gordon-Silver Productions |
| June 13, 1984 | Under the Volcano | US distribution only; produced by Ithaca Enterprises |
| June 29, 1984 | Conan the Destroyer | North America/Australia theatrical/Spain theatrical distribution only; produced by the Dino De Laurentiis Company |
| July 13, 1984 | The Last Starfighter | US distribution only; co-production with Lorimar Productions |
| July 20, 1984 | One Deadly Summer | US distribution only; produced by TF1 |
| August 10, 1984 | Cloak & Dagger | |
| September 21, 1984 | All of Me[10] | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Kings Road Entertainment |
| September 28, 1984 | The Wild Life | |
| October 10, 1984 | Comfort and Joy | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, Kings Road Entertainment, and Scottish Television |
| October 26, 1984 | Terror in the Aisles | US distribution only; produced by T.E.M. Programs International |
| December 14, 1984 | Dune | North American and select international theatrical distribution only; produced by Dino De Laurentiis Corporation |
| Mass Appeal | distribution only | |
| December 19, 1984 | The River | |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 15, 1985 | The Breakfast Club | co-production with A&M Films and Channel Productions Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2016 |
| February 22, 1985 | Into the Night | |
| March 8, 1985 | Mask | |
| April 12, 1985 | Annie's Coming Out | US distribution only; also known as A Test of Love |
| April 26, 1985 | Stick | |
| May 3, 1985 | Gotcha! | |
| May 22, 1985 | Brewster's Millions | co-production with Silver Pictures (uncredited) |
| May 31, 1985 | Fletch | |
| July 3, 1985 | Back to the Future | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. co-production with Amblin Entertainment Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2007 |
| August 2, 1985 | Weird Science | co-production with Hughes Entertainment and Silver Pictures |
| September 13, 1985 | James Joyce's Women | US distribution only; produced by Rejoycing Company |
| September 20, 1985 | Creator | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Kings Road Entertainment |
| Morons from Outer Space | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment | |
| October 4, 1985 | Dreamchild | |
| October 18, 1985 | The Holcroft Covenant | |
| Wild Geese II | ||
| October 1985 | UFOria | distribution only; produced by Melvin Simon Productions |
| December 18, 1985 | Brazil | US distribution only; produced by Embassy International Pictures |
| December 20, 1985 | Out of Africa | Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. co-production with Mirage Enterprises |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 31, 1986 | The Best of Times | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Kings Road Entertainment |
| March 26, 1986 | The Money Pit | co-production with Amblin Entertainment |
| April 18, 1986 | Legend | US distribution only; produced by Embassy International Pictures |
| May 14, 1986 | Sweet Liberty | |
| June 18, 1986 | Legal Eagles | |
| July 2, 1986 | Psycho III | |
| August 1, 1986 | Howard the Duck | distribution only; produced by Lucasfilm |
| August 29, 1986 | Bullies | US distribution only; produced by Simcom Limited |
| September 12, 1986 | 'night, Mother | co-production with Aaron Spelling Productions and Blackbird Productions |
| October 3, 1986 | Playing for Keeps | US distribution only; produced by Miramax Films |
| October 10, 1986 | Clockwise | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Cannon Screen Entertainment |
| November 21, 1986 | An American Tail | co-production with Amblin Entertainment and Sullivan Bluth Studios |
| December 25, 1986 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | co-production with Rastar |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| April 10, 1987 | The Secret of My Success | co-production with Rastar |
| May 1, 1987 | The Allnighter | co-production with Aurora Productions |
| June 5, 1987 | Harry and the Hendersons | co-production with Amblin Entertainment |
| June 26, 1987 | Dragnet | |
| July 17, 1987 | ||
| August 14, 1987 | North Shore | co-production with Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions |
| August 21, 1987 | Born in East L.A. | |
| September 18, 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | |
| October 9, 1987 | Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll | |
| Three O'Clock High | ||
| October 23, 1987 | Prince of Darkness | US distribution only; produced by Alive Films |
| October 27, 1987 | Positive I.D. | |
| November 6, 1987 | Cry Freedom | co-production with Marble Arch Productions |
| November 13, 1987 | Cross My Heart | |
| December 4, 1987 | Walker | co-production with In-Cine Compañía Industrial Cinematográfica |
| December 18, 1987 | Batteries Not Included | Nominee of the Saturn Award for Best Actress. co-production with Amblin Entertainment |
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February 5, 1988 | The Serpent and the Rainbow | |
| March 18, 1988 | The Milagro Beanfield War[11] | |
| March 25, 1988 | Biloxi Blues | co-production with Rastar |
| April 22, 1988 | Casual Sex? | |
| May 6, 1988 | Shakedown | US distribution only; produced by Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment |
| June 17, 1988 | The Great Outdoors | distribution only; produced by Hughes Entertainment |
| July 8, 1988 | Phantasm II | US distribution only; produced by Spacegate Corporation |
| July 20, 1988 | Midnight Run | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. co-production with City Light Films |
| August 12, 1988 | The Last Temptation of Christ | co-production with Cineplex Odeon Films |
| September 9, 1988 | Moon Over Parador | |
| September 23, 1988 | Gorillas in the Mist | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. North American distribution only; co-production with Warner Bros. and The Guber-Peters Company |
| October 14, 1988 | Madame Sousatzka | US distribution only; produced by Cineplex Odeon Films |
| November 4, 1988 | They Live | US distribution only; produced by Alive Films |
| November 18, 1988 | The Land Before Time | co-production with Amblin Entertainment and Sullivan Bluth Studios |
| November 1988 | Missing Link | |
| December 1, 1988 | Screwball Hotel | |
| December 2, 1988 | Watchers[12] | US theatrical distribution only; produced by Concorde Pictures, Centaur Films, Rose & Ruby Productions, and Canadian Entertainment Investors No. 2 and Company |
| December 9, 1988 | Twins | |
| December 21, 1988 | Talk Radio | US distribution only; produced by Cineplex Odeon Films |
| Release Date | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 17, 1989 | The 'Burbs | distribution only; produced by Imagine Entertainment | |
| March 17, 1989 | Fletch Lives | ||
| April 7, 1989 | The Dream Team | distribution only; produced by Imagine Entertainment | |
| April 21, 1989 | Field of Dreams | US distribution only; co-production with the Gordon Company Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2017 | |
| April 28, 1989 | K-9 | co-production with the Gordon Company | |
| June 2, 1989 | Renegades[13] | US distribution only; produced by Morgan Creek Productions and Interscope Communications | |
| June 30, 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. co-production with 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks Inducted into the National Film Registry in 1999 | |
| August 2, 1989 | Parenthood | distribution only; produced by Imagine Entertainment | |
| August 16, 1989 | Uncle Buck | co-production with Hughes Entertainment | |
| September 15, 1989 | Sea of Love | ||
| October 27, 1989 | Shocker | US distribution only; produced by Alive Films | |
| November 10, 1989 | Dad | distribution only; produced by Amblin Entertainment | |
| November 22, 1989 | Back to the Future Part II | co-production with Amblin Entertainment | |
| December 15, 1989 | The Wizard | US distribution only; co-production with Finnegan-Pinchuk Company | |
| December 20, 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. | |
| December 22, 1989 | Always | co-production with United Artists and Amblin Entertainment |