Special Report

Most Popular Movies for Valentine’s Day Since 1980

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This year, Americans are projected to spend a record $20.7 billion on Valentine’s Day, according to industry advocacy group, National Retail Federation. The beneficiaries of all that spending are not only those receiving gifts. The holiday is a financial boon for florists, chocolatiers, restaurants, jewelers, and, of course, Hollywood.

The U.S. film industry generated a record $43.4 billion in revenue in 2017. While movie ticket sales tend to surge during the summer blockbuster season, holiday-oriented pictures can also fill seats throughout the year.

In recent decades, stalwart date-night genres like drama, horror, and romantic comedy have dominated the box office in mid-February. While the most popular movie in theaters on Valentine’s Day does not always reflect the spirit of the holiday, movies like “Titanic” in 1998, 2015’s “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and “50 First Dates” in 2004 each grossed over $10 million at the box office on Valentine’s Day alone.

This year, the romantic comedy parody “Isn’t It Romantic” hits theaters on Valentine’s Day. The timing is certainly no coincidence.

Click here to see the most popular movies for Valentine’s Day since 1980.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the highest grossing movie at the box office on Feb. 14 each year since 1980 with data from industry tracking sites Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Years for which daily revenue was not available, we used revenue for the week or weekend of Valentine’s Day and noted those instances. We also included the average price of a movie ticket each year with data from the National Association of Theatre Owners.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

1980
> Movie: Kramer vs. Kramer
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $5.3 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1980: $2.69

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Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1981
> Movie: Sphinx
> Genre: Adventure
> Box office revenue: $439,564 (Valentine’s weekend)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1981: $2.78

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1982
> Movie: On Golden Pond
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $11.2 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1982: $2.94

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

1983
> Movie: Tootsie
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $6.8 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1983: $3.15

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1984
> Movie: Unfaithfully Yours
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $4.9 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1984: $3.36

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1985
> Movie: Beverly Hills Cop
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $7.9 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1985: $3.55

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Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1986
> Movie: Down and Out in Beverly Hills
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $8.5 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1986: $3.71

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1987
> Movie: Platoon
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $15.8 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1987: $3.91

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1988
> Movie: Good Morning Vietnam
> Genre: Biography
> Box office revenue: $10.8 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1988: $4.11

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1989
> Movie: The Fly II
> Genre: Horror
> Box office revenue: $8.4 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1989: $3.99

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1990
> Movie: Hard to Kill
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $12.1 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1990: $4.22

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Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1991
> Movie: The Silence of the Lambs
> Genre: Crime
> Box office revenue: $1.4 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1991: $4.21

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1992
> Movie: Wayne’s World
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $18.1 million (Valentine’s weekend)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1992: $4.15

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

1993
> Movie: Groundhog Day
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $17.1 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1993: $4.14

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1994
> Movie: Schindler’s List
> Genre: Biography
> Box office revenue: $426,190 (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1994: $4.08

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

1995
> Movie: The Quick and the Dead
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $8.4 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1995: $4.35

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Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1996
> Movie: Father of the Bride Part II
> Genre:
> Box office revenue: $61.2 million (Week of Valentine’s)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1996: $4.42

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1997
> Movie: Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $21.4 million (Valentine’s weekend)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1997: $4.59

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1998
> Movie: Titanic
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $13.0 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1998: $4.69

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1999
> Movie: Message in a Bottle
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $6.1 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 1999: $5.06

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2000
> Movie: The Beach
> Genre: Adventure
> Box office revenue: $2.1 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2000: $5.39

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Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation

2001
> Movie: Hannibal
> Genre: Crime
> Box office revenue: $5.1 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2001: $5.65

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2002
> Movie: Collateral Damage
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $1.5 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2002: $5.80

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2003
> Movie: Daredevil
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $15.3 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2003: $6.03

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

2004
> Movie: 50 First Dates
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $19.8 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2004: $6.21

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

2005
> Movie: Hitch
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $7.5 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2005: $6.41

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Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2006
> Movie: Final Destination 3
> Genre: Horror
> Box office revenue: $2.9 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2006: $6.55

Courtesy of Lionsgate

2007
> Movie: Daddy’s Little Girls
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $4.6 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2007: $6.88

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2008
> Movie: Jumper
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $6.6 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2008: $7.18

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Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2009
> Movie: Friday the 13th
> Genre:
> Box office revenue: $14.3 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2009: $7.50

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2010
> Movie: Valentine’s Day
> Genre: Horror
> Box office revenue: $23.4 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2010: $7.89

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

2011
> Movie: Just Go With It
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $6.0 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2011: $7.93

Courtesy of Screen Gems

2012
> Movie: The Vow
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $11.6 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2012: $7.96

Courtesy of Relativity Media

2013
> Movie: Safe Haven
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $8.8 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2013: $8.13

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Courtesy of Screen Gems

2014
> Movie: About Last Night
> Genre: Comedy
> Box office revenue: $12.9 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2014: $8.17

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2015
> Movie: Fifty Shades of Grey
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $36.8 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2015: $8.43

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2016
> Movie: Deadpool
> Genre: Action
> Box office revenue: $42.6 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2016: $8.65

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2017
> Movie: Fifty Shades Darker
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $11.0 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2017: $8.97

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2018
> Movie: Fifty Shades Freed
> Genre: Drama
> Box office revenue: $10.8 million (Valentine’s Day)
> Avg. price of a movie ticket in 2018: $9.11

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