Out of Africa (1985)

Out of Africa
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $79,096,868Details
International Box Office $179,113,992Details
Worldwide Box Office $258,210,860
OpusData ID: 5980100
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$3,637,290 (4.6% of total gross)
Legs:12.16 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:30.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$28,000,000 (worldwide box office is 9.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:922 opening theaters/1,102 max. theaters, 14.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $244,794,669

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,137 $79,096,868
All Time International Box Office (Rank 601-700) 620 $179,113,992
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 701-800) 704 $258,210,860
Leggiest Movies 72 12.16

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Universal
International Releases: February 28th, 1986 (Wide), released as África Minha (Portugal)
March 6th, 1986 (Wide) (Australia)
October 9th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: March 1st, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 161 minutes
Comparisons: Best Picture Oscar Winners
vs. Amadeus
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Oscars Best Picture Winner, Romantic Drama, Set in Africa, 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Based on Factual Book/Article
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Biggest Domestic 17th Weekend 78 $1,314,300 Apr 11, 1986 117
Biggest Domestic 16th Weekend 56 $1,884,432 Apr 4, 1986 110
Biggest Domestic 15th Weekend 69 $2,002,200 Mar 28, 1986 103
Easter (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 323 $6,319,618 Mar 28, 1986 103
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 226 $11,556,786 Feb 14, 1986 61
Super Bowl (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 163 $10,090,929 Jan 24, 1986 40
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day) 284 $5,191,875 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 161 $16,387,290 Jan 17, 1986 33
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day) 250 $6,360,296 Jan 3, 1986 19
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 156 $20,075,214 Jan 3, 1986 19
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day) 245 $6,504,397 Dec 27, 1985 12
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 151 $21,455,355 Dec 27, 1985 12

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,137 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 501-600) 528 $244,794,669
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 801-900) 807 $79,096,868
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1985 5 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 33 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 845 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Dramatization Movies 64 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Drama Movies (Rank 101-200) 138 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 301-400) 305 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 156 $79,096,868
Leggiest Movies 72 12.16

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 4 $3,637,290   922 $3,945   $3,696,534 1
Dec 27, 1985 4 $6,504,397 +79% 922 $7,055   $14,162,371 2
Jan 3, 1986 2 $6,360,296 -2% 928 $6,854   $26,685,197 3
Jan 10, 1986 1 $5,137,370 -19% 922 $5,572   $34,249,287 4
Jan 17, 1986 3 $5,191,875 +1% 923 $5,625   $41,378,120 5
Jan 24, 1986 4 $3,197,040 -38% 924 $3,460   $46,302,669 6
Jan 31, 1986 5 $3,300,070 +3% 997 $3,310   $50,757,129 7
Feb 7, 1986 4 $3,548,440 +8% 1,102 $3,220   $55,295,894 8
Feb 14, 1986 5 $3,661,460 +3% 1,042 $3,514   $60,022,414 9
Feb 21, 1986 6 $2,310,910 -37% 1,023 $2,259   $63,056,459 10
Feb 28, 1986 9 $1,786,185 -23% 909 $1,965   $65,522,379 11
Mar 7, 1986 9 $1,536,668 -14% 796 $1,930   $67,718,811 12
Mar 14, 1986 10 $1,360,825 -11% 720 $1,890   $69,670,271 13
Mar 21, 1986 11 $1,320,000 -3% 750 $1,760   $71,478,551 14
Mar 28, 1986 7 $2,002,200 +52% 885 $2,262   $74,465,286 15
Apr 4, 1986 7 $1,884,432 -6% 913 $2,064   $77,266,673 16
Apr 11, 1986 10 $1,314,300 -30% 780 $1,685   $79,096,868 17

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 4 $7,598,730   922 $8,242   $7,657,974 2
Dec 27, 1985 3 $12,666,927 +67% 922 $13,739   $20,324,901 3
Jan 3, 1986 2 $8,787,016 -31% 928 $9,469   $29,111,917 4
Jan 10, 1986 1 $7,074,328 -19% 922 $7,673   $36,186,245 5
Jan 17, 1986 3 $6,919,384 -2% 923 $7,497   $43,105,629 6
Jan 24, 1986 4 $4,351,430 -37% 924 $4,709   $47,457,059 7
Jan 31, 1986 5 $4,290,395 -1% 997 $4,303   $51,747,454 8
Feb 7, 1986 4 $4,613,500 +8% 1,102 $4,186   $56,360,954 9
Feb 14, 1986 5 $4,384,595 -5% 1,042 $4,208   $60,745,549 10
Feb 21, 1986 6 $2,990,645 -32% 1,023 $2,923   $63,736,194 11
Feb 28, 1986 9 $2,445,949 -18% 909 $2,691   $66,182,143 12
Mar 7, 1986 8 $2,127,303 -13% 796 $2,672   $68,309,446 13
Mar 14, 1986 8 $1,849,105 -13% 720 $2,568   $70,158,551 14
Mar 21, 1986 9 $2,304,535 +25% 750 $3,073   $72,463,086 15
Mar 28, 1986 8 $2,919,155 +27% 885 $3,298   $75,382,241 16
Apr 4, 1986 7 $2,400,327 -18% 913 $2,629   $77,782,568 17

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 3/6/1986 $0000$0
New Zealand 10/9/2025 $228 0 0 0 $228 10/13/2025
Portugal 2/28/1986 $0 0 0 0 $2,265 11/25/2025
 
Rest of World $179,111,499
 
International Total$179,113,992 11/25/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 601-700) 620 $179,113,992
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 301-400) 360 $179,113,992
Top 1985 Movies at the International Box Office 1 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 8 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 301-400) 385 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Dramatization Movies 23 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Drama Movies 61 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 101-200) 146 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies 77 $179,113,992

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 701-800) 704 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 401-500) 423 $258,210,860
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 4 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 16 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 401-500) 459 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Dramatization Movies 30 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Drama Movies 68 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 101-200) 181 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies 95 $258,210,860

Leading Cast

Robert Redford    Denys Finch Hatton
Meryl Streep    Karen Christence Dinesen Blixen-Finecke

Supporting Cast

Klaus Maria Brandauer    Baron Bror Blixen/Baron Hans Blixen
Michael Gough    Delamere
Iman    Mariammo

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

Production and Technical Credits

Sydney Pollack    Director
Judith Thurman    Screenwriter
Karen Blixen    Based on the memoir by
Lee Cleary    Assistant Director

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 28th, 2012

August 28th, 2012

We are clearly in TV on DVD season on the home market as there are five TV on DVD releases among the top six selling releases, with Battleship being the only first run release to break up the TV on DVD dominance. There are many such releases that are contenders for Pick of the Week: Boardwalk Empire: Season Two on Blu-ray, Homeland: Season One on Blu-ray, Once Upon a Time: Season One on Blu-ray, and The Walking Dead: Season Two on Blu-ray. However, in the end I went with The Pirates! Band of Misfits on 3D Combo Pack as the Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, Monsieur Lazhar on DVD or Blu-ray earns a rarely awarded Puck of the Week. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 6th, 2012

March 6th, 2012

The number of big releases coming out this week can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The biggest theatrical release of the week is Immortals, but its reviews were weak enough that I think it might struggle on the home market in comparison. There are also a few catalog titles coming out on Blu-ray that are note-worthy, like To Catch a Thief. However, by far the biggest release, and the best, is Game of Thrones: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray, the latter of which is the Pick of the Week with To Catch a Thief not too far behind. More...


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

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$3,637,290 (4.6% of total gross)
Legs:12.16 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:30.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$28,000,000 (worldwide box office is 9.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:922 opening theaters/1,102 max. theaters, 14.0 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $244,794,669

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,137 $79,096,868
All Time International Box Office (Rank 601-700) 620 $179,113,992
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 701-800) 704 $258,210,860
Leggiest Movies 72 12.16

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Universal
International Releases: February 28th, 1986 (Wide), released as África Minha (Portugal)
March 6th, 1986 (Wide) (Australia)
October 9th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: March 1st, 1992 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 161 minutes
Comparisons: Best Picture Oscar Winners
vs. Amadeus
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Oscars Best Picture Winner, Romantic Drama, Set in Africa, 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Based on Factual Book/Article
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Biggest Domestic 17th Weekend 78 $1,314,300 Apr 11, 1986 117
Biggest Domestic 16th Weekend 56 $1,884,432 Apr 4, 1986 110
Biggest Domestic 15th Weekend 69 $2,002,200 Mar 28, 1986 103
Easter (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 323 $6,319,618 Mar 28, 1986 103
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 226 $11,556,786 Feb 14, 1986 61
Super Bowl (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 163 $10,090,929 Jan 24, 1986 40
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day) 284 $5,191,875 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 161 $16,387,290 Jan 17, 1986 33
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day) 250 $6,360,296 Jan 3, 1986 19
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 156 $20,075,214 Jan 3, 1986 19
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day) 245 $6,504,397 Dec 27, 1985 12
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 151 $21,455,355 Dec 27, 1985 12

Leading Cast

Robert Redford    Denys Finch Hatton
Meryl Streep    Karen Christence Dinesen Blixen-Finecke

Supporting Cast

Klaus Maria Brandauer    Baron Bror Blixen/Baron Hans Blixen
Michael Gough    Delamere
Iman    Mariammo

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

Production and Technical Credits

Sydney Pollack    Director
Judith Thurman    Screenwriter
Karen Blixen    Based on the memoir by
Lee Cleary    Assistant Director

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 28th, 2012

August 28th, 2012

We are clearly in TV on DVD season on the home market as there are five TV on DVD releases among the top six selling releases, with Battleship being the only first run release to break up the TV on DVD dominance. There are many such releases that are contenders for Pick of the Week: Boardwalk Empire: Season Two on Blu-ray, Homeland: Season One on Blu-ray, Once Upon a Time: Season One on Blu-ray, and The Walking Dead: Season Two on Blu-ray. However, in the end I went with The Pirates! Band of Misfits on 3D Combo Pack as the Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, Monsieur Lazhar on DVD or Blu-ray earns a rarely awarded Puck of the Week. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 6th, 2012

March 6th, 2012

The number of big releases coming out this week can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The biggest theatrical release of the week is Immortals, but its reviews were weak enough that I think it might struggle on the home market in comparison. There are also a few catalog titles coming out on Blu-ray that are note-worthy, like To Catch a Thief. However, by far the biggest release, and the best, is Game of Thrones: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray, the latter of which is the Pick of the Week with To Catch a Thief not too far behind. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,137 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 501-600) 528 $244,794,669
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 801-900) 807 $79,096,868
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1985 5 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 33 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 845 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Dramatization Movies 64 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Drama Movies (Rank 101-200) 138 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 301-400) 305 $79,096,868
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 156 $79,096,868
Leggiest Movies 72 12.16

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 4 $3,637,290   922 $3,945   $3,696,534 1
Dec 27, 1985 4 $6,504,397 +79% 922 $7,055   $14,162,371 2
Jan 3, 1986 2 $6,360,296 -2% 928 $6,854   $26,685,197 3
Jan 10, 1986 1 $5,137,370 -19% 922 $5,572   $34,249,287 4
Jan 17, 1986 3 $5,191,875 +1% 923 $5,625   $41,378,120 5
Jan 24, 1986 4 $3,197,040 -38% 924 $3,460   $46,302,669 6
Jan 31, 1986 5 $3,300,070 +3% 997 $3,310   $50,757,129 7
Feb 7, 1986 4 $3,548,440 +8% 1,102 $3,220   $55,295,894 8
Feb 14, 1986 5 $3,661,460 +3% 1,042 $3,514   $60,022,414 9
Feb 21, 1986 6 $2,310,910 -37% 1,023 $2,259   $63,056,459 10
Feb 28, 1986 9 $1,786,185 -23% 909 $1,965   $65,522,379 11
Mar 7, 1986 9 $1,536,668 -14% 796 $1,930   $67,718,811 12
Mar 14, 1986 10 $1,360,825 -11% 720 $1,890   $69,670,271 13
Mar 21, 1986 11 $1,320,000 -3% 750 $1,760   $71,478,551 14
Mar 28, 1986 7 $2,002,200 +52% 885 $2,262   $74,465,286 15
Apr 4, 1986 7 $1,884,432 -6% 913 $2,064   $77,266,673 16
Apr 11, 1986 10 $1,314,300 -30% 780 $1,685   $79,096,868 17

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 4 $7,598,730   922 $8,242   $7,657,974 2
Dec 27, 1985 3 $12,666,927 +67% 922 $13,739   $20,324,901 3
Jan 3, 1986 2 $8,787,016 -31% 928 $9,469   $29,111,917 4
Jan 10, 1986 1 $7,074,328 -19% 922 $7,673   $36,186,245 5
Jan 17, 1986 3 $6,919,384 -2% 923 $7,497   $43,105,629 6
Jan 24, 1986 4 $4,351,430 -37% 924 $4,709   $47,457,059 7
Jan 31, 1986 5 $4,290,395 -1% 997 $4,303   $51,747,454 8
Feb 7, 1986 4 $4,613,500 +8% 1,102 $4,186   $56,360,954 9
Feb 14, 1986 5 $4,384,595 -5% 1,042 $4,208   $60,745,549 10
Feb 21, 1986 6 $2,990,645 -32% 1,023 $2,923   $63,736,194 11
Feb 28, 1986 9 $2,445,949 -18% 909 $2,691   $66,182,143 12
Mar 7, 1986 8 $2,127,303 -13% 796 $2,672   $68,309,446 13
Mar 14, 1986 8 $1,849,105 -13% 720 $2,568   $70,158,551 14
Mar 21, 1986 9 $2,304,535 +25% 750 $3,073   $72,463,086 15
Mar 28, 1986 8 $2,919,155 +27% 885 $3,298   $75,382,241 16
Apr 4, 1986 7 $2,400,327 -18% 913 $2,629   $77,782,568 17

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
Australia 3/6/1986 $0000$0
New Zealand 10/9/2025 $228 0 0 0 $228 10/13/2025
Portugal 2/28/1986 $0 0 0 0 $2,265 11/25/2025
 
Rest of World $179,111,499
 
International Total$179,113,992 11/25/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 601-700) 620 $179,113,992
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 301-400) 360 $179,113,992
Top 1985 Movies at the International Box Office 1 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 8 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 301-400) 385 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Dramatization Movies 23 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Drama Movies 61 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 101-200) 146 $179,113,992
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies 77 $179,113,992

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 701-800) 704 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 401-500) 423 $258,210,860
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 4 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Factual Book/Article Movies 16 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 401-500) 459 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Dramatization Movies 30 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Drama Movies 68 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 101-200) 181 $258,210,860
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies 95 $258,210,860