The Color Purple (1985)

The Color Purple poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $94,029,472Details
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$1,710,333 (1.8% of total gross)
Legs:15.25 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:192 opening theaters/1,109 max. theaters, 16.6 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $275,040,306

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

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


Watch Now On

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
February 23rd, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events
Video Release: March 25th, 1997 by Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 152 minutes
Franchise: The Color Purple
Comparisons: vs. Empire of the Sun
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: African Americans, Historical Drama, Coming of Age, 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Amblin Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest Domestic 21st Weekend 90 $518,242 May 9, 1986 145
Biggest Domestic 20th Weekend 83 $728,794 May 2, 1986 138
Biggest Domestic 19th Weekend 65 $1,011,530 Apr 25, 1986 131
Biggest Domestic 18th Weekend 71 $1,200,069 Apr 18, 1986 124
Biggest Domestic 17th Weekend 67 $1,527,233 Apr 11, 1986 117
Biggest Domestic 16th Weekend 48 $2,158,733 Apr 4, 1986 110
Biggest Domestic 15th Weekend 68 $2,004,556 Mar 28, 1986 103
Easter (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 313 $6,105,526 Mar 28, 1986 103
Biggest Domestic 14th Weekend 48 $2,865,833 Mar 21, 1986 96
Biggest Domestic 13th Weekend 53 $3,006,827 Mar 14, 1986 89
Biggest Domestic 12th Weekend 50 $3,636,677 Mar 7, 1986 82
Biggest Domestic 11th Weekend 66 $3,557,053 Feb 28, 1986 75
Biggest Domestic 10th Weekend 71 $4,091,653 Feb 21, 1986 68
Biggest Domestic 9th Weekend 42 $6,165,314 Feb 14, 1986 61
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day) 203 $6,165,314 Feb 14, 1986 61
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 133 $18,778,453 Feb 14, 1986 61
Biggest Domestic 8th Weekend 88 $5,330,126 Feb 7, 1986 54
Theater Average 7th Weekend 93 $7,521 Jan 31, 1986 47
Super Bowl (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 80 $13,439,553 Jan 24, 1986 40
Theater Average 5th Weekend 100 $10,237 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day) 249 $5,742,903 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 135 $17,491,858 Jan 17, 1986 33
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 303 $10,472,942 Jan 3, 1986 19
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 306 $10,068,006 Dec 27, 1985 12

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 8 $1,710,333   192 $8,908   $1,775,828 1
Dec 27, 1985 7 $3,162,958 +85% 202 $15,658   $7,108,801 2
Jan 3, 1986 7 $3,438,463 +9% 209 $16,452   $13,917,322 3
Jan 10, 1986 5 $3,126,757 -9% 561 $5,574   $18,810,736 4
Jan 17, 1986 2 $5,742,903 +84% 561 $10,237   $26,148,105 5
Jan 24, 1986 1 $4,412,456 -23% 561 $7,865   $33,332,839 6
Jan 31, 1986 2 $4,219,418 -4% 561 $7,521   $39,203,192 7
Feb 7, 1986 2 $5,330,126 +26% 1,109 $4,806   $45,889,128 8
Feb 14, 1986 2 $6,165,314 +16% 1,109 $5,559   $54,125,302 9
Feb 21, 1986 3 $4,091,653 -34% 1,109 $3,689   $59,534,565 10
Feb 28, 1986 4 $3,557,053 -13% 1,109 $3,207   $64,383,696 11
Mar 7, 1986 4 $3,636,677 +2% 1,096 $3,318   $69,260,725 12
Mar 14, 1986 3 $3,006,827 -17% 1,107 $2,716   $73,632,831 13
Mar 21, 1986 4 $2,865,833 -5% 1,082 $2,649   $77,592,315 14
Mar 28, 1986 6 $2,004,556 -30% 1,046 $1,916   $80,962,190 15
Apr 4, 1986 5 $2,158,733 +8% 1,014 $2,129   $84,159,813 16
Apr 11, 1986 8 $1,527,233 -29% 946 $1,614   $86,407,917 17
Apr 18, 1986 8 $1,200,069 -21% 890 $1,348   $88,220,216 18
Apr 25, 1986 10 $1,011,530 -16% 871 $1,161   $89,784,334 19
May 2, 1986 12 $728,794 -28% 745 $978   $90,962,921 20
May 9, 1986 16 $518,242 -29% 586 $884   $91,782,203 21
May 16, 1986 16 $446,296 -14% 555 $804   $92,484,046 22
May 23, 1986 14 $439,528 -2% 442 $994   $93,150,482 23
May 30, 1986 16 $315,744 -28% 414 $763   $93,589,701 24
Jun 6, 1986 14 $263,332 -17% 311 $847   $94,029,472 25

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 8 $3,880,348   192 $20,210   $3,945,843 2
Dec 27, 1985 7 $6,533,016 +68% 202 $32,342   $10,478,859 3
Jan 3, 1986 5 $5,205,120 -20% 209 $24,905   $15,683,979 4
Jan 10, 1986 4 $4,721,223 -9% 561 $8,416   $20,405,202 5
Jan 17, 1986 1 $8,515,181 +80% 561 $15,179   $28,920,383 6
Jan 24, 1986 1 $6,063,391 -29% 561 $10,808   $34,983,774 7
Jan 31, 1986 2 $5,575,228 -8% 561 $9,938   $40,559,002 8
Feb 7, 1986 2 $7,400,986 +33% 1,109 $6,674   $47,959,988 9
Feb 14, 1986 2 $7,482,924 +1% 1,109 $6,747   $55,442,912 10
Feb 21, 1986 2 $5,383,731 -28% 1,109 $4,855   $60,826,643 11
Feb 28, 1986 4 $4,797,405 -11% 1,109 $4,326   $65,624,048 12
Mar 7, 1986 2 $5,001,956 +4% 1,096 $4,564   $70,626,004 13
Mar 14, 1986 3 $4,100,478 -18% 1,107 $3,704   $74,726,482 14
Mar 21, 1986 4 $4,231,152 +3% 1,082 $3,910   $78,957,634 15
Mar 28, 1986 6 $3,043,446 -28% 1,046 $2,910   $82,001,080 16
Apr 4, 1986 5 $2,879,604 -5% 1,014 $2,840   $84,880,684 17
Apr 11, 1986 5 $2,139,463 -26% 946 $2,262   $87,020,147 18
Apr 18, 1986 7 $1,752,657 -18% 890 $1,969   $88,772,804 19
Apr 25, 1986 9 $1,461,323 -17% 871 $1,678   $90,234,127 20
May 2, 1986 10 $1,029,834 -30% 745 $1,382   $91,263,961 21
May 9, 1986 13 $773,789 -25% 586 $1,320   $92,037,750 22

Leading Cast

Margaret Avery Shug Avery

Supporting Cast

Danny Glover Albert
Adolph Caesar Old Mister
Rae Dawn Chong Squeak
Whoopi Goldberg Celie
Oprah Winfrey Sofia
Willard Pugh Harpo
Akosua Busia Nettie
Dana Ivey Miss Millie
Desreta Jackson Young Celie
Laurence Fishburne Swain
Carl Anderson Reverend Samuel
John Patton, Jr Preacher
Leonard Jackson Pa
Bennet Guillory Grady
Susan Beaubian Corrine
James Tillis Buster
Phillip Strong Mayor
Peto Kinsaka Adam
Lelo Masamba Olivia
Margaret Freeman Odessa
Howard Starr Young Harpo
Daphanie Oliver Young Olivia
Jadili Johnson Young Adam
Lillian Njoki Distefano Young Tashi
Donna Buie Daisy
Leon Rippy Store Clerk
John R. Hart Mailman
David Thomas Road Gang Leader
Carrie Murray Loretta
Juliet Poe Church Sister
Katie Simon Church Sister
Ethel Taylor Church Sister
Marcus Covington Boy
Marcus Liles Boo
April Myers Emma
Maurice Moore Child
Lechanda Latharp Child
Drew Bundini Brown Jook Joint Patron
Arnold Turner Jook Joint Patron
Jeris Poindexter Jook Joint Patron
James Hawthorne Jook Joint Patron

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

Production and Technical Credits

Steven Spielberg Director
Steven Spielberg Producer
Kathleen Kennedy Producer
Frank Marshall Producer
Qunicy Jones Producer
Jon Peters Executive Producer
Peter Guber Executive Producer
Menno Meyjes Screenwriter
Alice Walker Story Creator
Qunicy Jones Composer
Michael Kahn Editor
J. Michael Riva Production Designer
Allen Daviau Director of Photography
Carol Isenberg Associate Producer
Pat Kehoe Assistant Director
Richard Alexander Wells Assistant Director
Frank Marshall Second Unit Director
Gerald R. Molen Unit Production Manager
Robert W. Welch Art Director
Linda Descenna Set Decorator
Simon Trevor Second Unit Camera
Aggie Guerard Rodgers Costume Designer
Francine Jamison* Costume Supervisor
Willie Burton Sound Mixer
Robert Knudson Re-recording Mixer
Robert J. Glass Re-recording Mixer
Don Digirolamo Re-recording Mixer
Richard L. Anderson Supervising Sound Editor
Michael J. Benavente Sound Editor
James Christopher Sound Editor
Teresa Eckton Sound Editor
Sherman Waze Sound Editor
Burton M. Weinstein Sound Editor
David A. Whittaker Sound Editor
Else Blangsted Supervising Music Editor
Jim Flamberg Supervising Music Editor
David Marshall Music Editor
Tom Kramer Music Supervisor
Ken Chase Makeup
Robert L. Stevenson Hairstylist
Tom Bahler Music Supervisor
Reuben Cannon Casting Director
Greg Elam Stunt Coordinator

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 January 17th, 2012

January 16th, 2012

It's a slow week on the home market; there are four first run wide releases on this week's list, which is not bad, but only one of those, The Ides of March, earned reviews that were even remotely good. Unfortunately, there are only a few smaller releases that are worth checking out, so it's a pretty shallow week as well. As far as Pick of the Week is concerned, The Ides of March on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack win that honor, practically by default. More...


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

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$1,710,333 (1.8% of total gross)
Legs:15.25 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 6.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:192 opening theaters/1,109 max. theaters, 16.6 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $275,040,306

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

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


Watch Now On

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 18th, 1985 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
February 23rd, 2020 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events
Video Release: March 25th, 1997 by Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 152 minutes
Franchise: The Color Purple
Comparisons: vs. Empire of the Sun
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: African Americans, Historical Drama, Coming of Age, 1986 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Amblin Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest Domestic 21st Weekend 90 $518,242 May 9, 1986 145
Biggest Domestic 20th Weekend 83 $728,794 May 2, 1986 138
Biggest Domestic 19th Weekend 65 $1,011,530 Apr 25, 1986 131
Biggest Domestic 18th Weekend 71 $1,200,069 Apr 18, 1986 124
Biggest Domestic 17th Weekend 67 $1,527,233 Apr 11, 1986 117
Biggest Domestic 16th Weekend 48 $2,158,733 Apr 4, 1986 110
Biggest Domestic 15th Weekend 68 $2,004,556 Mar 28, 1986 103
Easter (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 313 $6,105,526 Mar 28, 1986 103
Biggest Domestic 14th Weekend 48 $2,865,833 Mar 21, 1986 96
Biggest Domestic 13th Weekend 53 $3,006,827 Mar 14, 1986 89
Biggest Domestic 12th Weekend 50 $3,636,677 Mar 7, 1986 82
Biggest Domestic 11th Weekend 66 $3,557,053 Feb 28, 1986 75
Biggest Domestic 10th Weekend 71 $4,091,653 Feb 21, 1986 68
Biggest Domestic 9th Weekend 42 $6,165,314 Feb 14, 1986 61
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day) 203 $6,165,314 Feb 14, 1986 61
Washington's Birthday (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 133 $18,778,453 Feb 14, 1986 61
Biggest Domestic 8th Weekend 88 $5,330,126 Feb 7, 1986 54
Theater Average 7th Weekend 93 $7,521 Jan 31, 1986 47
Super Bowl (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 80 $13,439,553 Jan 24, 1986 40
Theater Average 5th Weekend 100 $10,237 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day) 249 $5,742,903 Jan 17, 1986 33
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 135 $17,491,858 Jan 17, 1986 33
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 303 $10,472,942 Jan 3, 1986 19
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 306 $10,068,006 Dec 27, 1985 12

Leading Cast

Margaret Avery Shug Avery

Supporting Cast

Danny Glover Albert
Adolph Caesar Old Mister
Rae Dawn Chong Squeak
Whoopi Goldberg Celie
Oprah Winfrey Sofia
Willard Pugh Harpo
Akosua Busia Nettie
Dana Ivey Miss Millie
Desreta Jackson Young Celie
Laurence Fishburne Swain
Carl Anderson Reverend Samuel
John Patton, Jr Preacher
Leonard Jackson Pa
Bennet Guillory Grady
Susan Beaubian Corrine
James Tillis Buster
Phillip Strong Mayor
Peto Kinsaka Adam
Lelo Masamba Olivia
Margaret Freeman Odessa
Howard Starr Young Harpo
Daphanie Oliver Young Olivia
Jadili Johnson Young Adam
Lillian Njoki Distefano Young Tashi
Donna Buie Daisy
Leon Rippy Store Clerk
John R. Hart Mailman
David Thomas Road Gang Leader
Carrie Murray Loretta
Juliet Poe Church Sister
Katie Simon Church Sister
Ethel Taylor Church Sister
Marcus Covington Boy
Marcus Liles Boo
April Myers Emma
Maurice Moore Child
Lechanda Latharp Child
Drew Bundini Brown Jook Joint Patron
Arnold Turner Jook Joint Patron
Jeris Poindexter Jook Joint Patron
James Hawthorne Jook Joint Patron

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

Production and Technical Credits

Steven Spielberg Director
Steven Spielberg Producer
Kathleen Kennedy Producer
Frank Marshall Producer
Qunicy Jones Producer
Jon Peters Executive Producer
Peter Guber Executive Producer
Menno Meyjes Screenwriter
Alice Walker Story Creator
Qunicy Jones Composer
Michael Kahn Editor
J. Michael Riva Production Designer
Allen Daviau Director of Photography
Carol Isenberg Associate Producer
Pat Kehoe Assistant Director
Richard Alexander Wells Assistant Director
Frank Marshall Second Unit Director
Gerald R. Molen Unit Production Manager
Robert W. Welch Art Director
Linda Descenna Set Decorator
Simon Trevor Second Unit Camera
Aggie Guerard Rodgers Costume Designer
Francine Jamison* Costume Supervisor
Willie Burton Sound Mixer
Robert Knudson Re-recording Mixer
Robert J. Glass Re-recording Mixer
Don Digirolamo Re-recording Mixer
Richard L. Anderson Supervising Sound Editor
Michael J. Benavente Sound Editor
James Christopher Sound Editor
Teresa Eckton Sound Editor
Sherman Waze Sound Editor
Burton M. Weinstein Sound Editor
David A. Whittaker Sound Editor
Else Blangsted Supervising Music Editor
Jim Flamberg Supervising Music Editor
David Marshall Music Editor
Tom Kramer Music Supervisor
Ken Chase Makeup
Robert L. Stevenson Hairstylist
Tom Bahler Music Supervisor
Reuben Cannon Casting Director
Greg Elam Stunt Coordinator

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 January 17th, 2012

January 16th, 2012

It's a slow week on the home market; there are four first run wide releases on this week's list, which is not bad, but only one of those, The Ides of March, earned reviews that were even remotely good. Unfortunately, there are only a few smaller releases that are worth checking out, so it's a pretty shallow week as well. As far as Pick of the Week is concerned, The Ides of March on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack win that honor, practically by default. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 8 $1,710,333   192 $8,908   $1,775,828 1
Dec 27, 1985 7 $3,162,958 +85% 202 $15,658   $7,108,801 2
Jan 3, 1986 7 $3,438,463 +9% 209 $16,452   $13,917,322 3
Jan 10, 1986 5 $3,126,757 -9% 561 $5,574   $18,810,736 4
Jan 17, 1986 2 $5,742,903 +84% 561 $10,237   $26,148,105 5
Jan 24, 1986 1 $4,412,456 -23% 561 $7,865   $33,332,839 6
Jan 31, 1986 2 $4,219,418 -4% 561 $7,521   $39,203,192 7
Feb 7, 1986 2 $5,330,126 +26% 1,109 $4,806   $45,889,128 8
Feb 14, 1986 2 $6,165,314 +16% 1,109 $5,559   $54,125,302 9
Feb 21, 1986 3 $4,091,653 -34% 1,109 $3,689   $59,534,565 10
Feb 28, 1986 4 $3,557,053 -13% 1,109 $3,207   $64,383,696 11
Mar 7, 1986 4 $3,636,677 +2% 1,096 $3,318   $69,260,725 12
Mar 14, 1986 3 $3,006,827 -17% 1,107 $2,716   $73,632,831 13
Mar 21, 1986 4 $2,865,833 -5% 1,082 $2,649   $77,592,315 14
Mar 28, 1986 6 $2,004,556 -30% 1,046 $1,916   $80,962,190 15
Apr 4, 1986 5 $2,158,733 +8% 1,014 $2,129   $84,159,813 16
Apr 11, 1986 8 $1,527,233 -29% 946 $1,614   $86,407,917 17
Apr 18, 1986 8 $1,200,069 -21% 890 $1,348   $88,220,216 18
Apr 25, 1986 10 $1,011,530 -16% 871 $1,161   $89,784,334 19
May 2, 1986 12 $728,794 -28% 745 $978   $90,962,921 20
May 9, 1986 16 $518,242 -29% 586 $884   $91,782,203 21
May 16, 1986 16 $446,296 -14% 555 $804   $92,484,046 22
May 23, 1986 14 $439,528 -2% 442 $994   $93,150,482 23
May 30, 1986 16 $315,744 -28% 414 $763   $93,589,701 24
Jun 6, 1986 14 $263,332 -17% 311 $847   $94,029,472 25

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 20, 1985 8 $3,880,348   192 $20,210   $3,945,843 2
Dec 27, 1985 7 $6,533,016 +68% 202 $32,342   $10,478,859 3
Jan 3, 1986 5 $5,205,120 -20% 209 $24,905   $15,683,979 4
Jan 10, 1986 4 $4,721,223 -9% 561 $8,416   $20,405,202 5
Jan 17, 1986 1 $8,515,181 +80% 561 $15,179   $28,920,383 6
Jan 24, 1986 1 $6,063,391 -29% 561 $10,808   $34,983,774 7
Jan 31, 1986 2 $5,575,228 -8% 561 $9,938   $40,559,002 8
Feb 7, 1986 2 $7,400,986 +33% 1,109 $6,674   $47,959,988 9
Feb 14, 1986 2 $7,482,924 +1% 1,109 $6,747   $55,442,912 10
Feb 21, 1986 2 $5,383,731 -28% 1,109 $4,855   $60,826,643 11
Feb 28, 1986 4 $4,797,405 -11% 1,109 $4,326   $65,624,048 12
Mar 7, 1986 2 $5,001,956 +4% 1,096 $4,564   $70,626,004 13
Mar 14, 1986 3 $4,100,478 -18% 1,107 $3,704   $74,726,482 14
Mar 21, 1986 4 $4,231,152 +3% 1,082 $3,910   $78,957,634 15
Mar 28, 1986 6 $3,043,446 -28% 1,046 $2,910   $82,001,080 16
Apr 4, 1986 5 $2,879,604 -5% 1,014 $2,840   $84,880,684 17
Apr 11, 1986 5 $2,139,463 -26% 946 $2,262   $87,020,147 18
Apr 18, 1986 7 $1,752,657 -18% 890 $1,969   $88,772,804 19
Apr 25, 1986 9 $1,461,323 -17% 871 $1,678   $90,234,127 20
May 2, 1986 10 $1,029,834 -30% 745 $1,382   $91,263,961 21
May 9, 1986 13 $773,789 -25% 586 $1,320   $92,037,750 22