List of Warner Bros. films (1980–1989) explained

This is a list of films produced, co-produced, and/or distributed by Warner Bros. in the 1980s.

1980

Release date	Title	Notes
January 18, 1980	Just Tell Me What You Want
February 28, 1980	Simon	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
February 29, 1980	The Ninth Configuration	U.S. theatrical distribution only Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
March 28, 1980	When Time Ran Out	co-production with International Cinema Corporation
	Tom Horn	co-production with First Artists and Solar Productions
	Gilda Live	co-production with Broadway Pictures
April 13, 1980	Die Laughing	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
April 25, 1980	Heart Beat	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures, Edward R. Pressman Productions and Further Productions
May 9, 1980	Friday the 13th	international distribution only; produced by Georgetown Productions; distributed in North America by Paramount Pictures
May 23, 1980	The Shining	co-production with The Producer Circle Company and Peregrine Productions Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2018
June 6, 1980	Up the Academy
June 11, 1980	Bronco Billy
July 18, 1980	No Nukes	distribution only; produced by Muse Foundation[1]
	Honeysuckle Rose
July 25, 1980	Caddyshack	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
	Battle Beyond the Stars	international distribution with Orion Pictures only; produced by New World Pictures[2]
August 8, 1980	The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures and Playboy Productions
September 10, 1980	The Big Brawl	North American distribution, U.K. and Australian theatrical distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest
September 14, 1980		co-production with High Speed Productions and Sebastian International
September 25, 1980	The Chain Reaction	international distribution outside Australia and New Zealand only
September 26, 1980	Divine Madness	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
October 3, 1980	The First Deadly Sin	co-production with Filmways Pictures
	One Trick Pony
	Oh, God! Book II
October 10, 1980	Private Benjamin
October 31, 1980	The Awakening	British film; North American distribution with Orion Pictures only; produced by EMI Films
December 17, 1980	Any Which Way You Can	co-production with The Malpaso Company
December 25, 1980	First Family	co-production with The IndieProd Company
	Altered States

1981

Release date	Title	Notes
January 22, 1981	The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
February 11, 1981	Sphinx	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
March 13, 1981	Back Roads	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
March 27, 1981	Eyes of a Stranger	distribution only; produced by Georgetown Productions[3]
April 4, 1981	This Is Elvis
April 10, 1981	Excalibur	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
April 24, 1981	The Hand
	Ms .45	international distribution only; produced by Rochelle Films and Navaron Films[4]
May 22, 1981	Outland	British film; distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
June 19, 1981	Superman II	North American and select international distribution only; produced by Dovemead, Ltd.; originally released in December 1980 on foreign countries
July 17, 1981	Arthur	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
July 24, 1981	Wolfen
July 31, 1981	Under the Rainbow
August 21, 1981	Prince of the City	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
August 22, 1981	Evilspeak	international theatrical distribution only; produced by Leisure Investment Company
August 28, 1981	Body Heat	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
September 25, 1981	So Fine
October 30, 1981	Looker	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
November 20, 1981	The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
December 11, 1981	Rollover	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures and IPC Films
December 18, 1981	Sharky's Machine	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures

1982

Release date	Title	Notes
February 5, 1982	Personal Best	distribution only; produced by The Geffen Company
February 12, 1982	Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man	distribution with The Ladd Company outside Italy only
March 19, 1982	Deathtrap
April 9, 1982	Chariots of Fire	North American distribution with The Ladd Company only; produced by Allied Stars and Enigma Productions
April 30, 1982	Soup for One
May 21, 1982	Mad Max 2	distribution only; produced by Kennedy Miller Entertainment; also known as The Road Warrior in North America
May 28, 1982	The Escape Artist	North American theatrical distribution with Orion Pictures only; produced by Zoetrope Studios
June 18, 1982	Firefox	co-production with Malpaso Productions
June 25, 1982	Blade Runner	North American theatrical and international distribution outside Hong Kong only; produced by The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers and Blade Runner Partnership
July 16, 1982	A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
July 23, 1982	The World According to Garp
July 30, 1982	Night Shift	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
September 17, 1982	Hammett	North American distribution with Orion Pictures only; produced by Zoetrope Studios
October 1, 1982	Hey Good Lookin'	co-production with Bakshi Productions
October 9, 1982	I, the Jury	international distribution only; produced by American Cinema Productions; distributed in North America by 20th Century Fox
October 15, 1982	Love Child	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
November 10, 1982	Creepshow	North American distribution only; produced by Laurel Show, Inc.[5]
November 12, 1982	Five Days One Summer	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
November 19, 1982		co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
December 15, 1982	Honkytonk Man	co-production with The Malpaso Company
December 17, 1982	Best Friends

1983

Release date	Title	Notes
January 21, 1983	Independence Day
February 17, 1983	Local Hero	North American distribution only; produced by Enigma Productions, Goldcrest Films and Celandine Films
February 18, 1983	Table for Five	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
	Lovesick	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
March 18, 1983	High Road to China	North American distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest and Jardan Film[6]
March 25, 1983	The Outsiders	North American and U.K. distribution only; produced by Zoetrope Studios[7]
April 1, 1983	Deadly Eyes	U.S. distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest and Filmtrust Productions
April 15, 1983	Better Late Than Never	British film; U.S. theatrical distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest
April 22, 1983	Cracking Up	U.S. distribution only; produced by Orgolini-Nelson Productions
April 29, 1983	Blue Skies Again	co-production with Lantana Productions
May 13, 1983	The Lift	Dutch film; international distribution outside the Netherlands only; produced by Sigma Film Productions
June 3, 1983	The Man with Two Brains	co-production with Aspen Film Society
June 17, 1983	Superman III	North American distribution and international theatrical distribution only; produced by Dovemead, Ltd.
June 24, 1983
July 1, 1983	Stroker Ace	North American home media and television and international theatrical distribution only; co-production with Universal Pictures[8]
July 15, 1983	Zelig	distribution only; produced by Orion Pictures
July 29, 1983	National Lampoon's Vacation
August 5, 1983	Twice Upon a Time	distribution with The Ladd Company only; produced by Korty Films and Lucasfilm, Ltd.[9]
	Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
	Risky Business	distribution only; produced by The Geffen Company
August 12, 1983	Cujo	North American and West German distribution only;[10] produced by Taft Entertainment Company and Sunn Classic Pictures[11]
October 7, 1983	Never Say Never Again	North and Latin American, U.K., Spanish and Danish distribution only;[12] produced by Taliafilm[13]
October 21, 1983	The Right Stuff	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
November 4, 1983	Deal of the Century
November 10, 1983	Star 80	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
November 24, 1983	Of Unknown Origin	distribution outside Canada only; produced by Mutual Productions, Canadian Film Development Corporation and Famous Players[14]
December 9, 1983	Sudden Impact	co-production with The Malpaso Company (uncredited)

1984

Release date	Title	Notes
February 17, 1984	Lassiter	North American distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest
March 9, 1984	Mike's Murder	distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
March 23, 1984	Police Academy
March 30, 1984	Purple Hearts
April 13, 1984	Swing Shift	co-production with Lantana Productions
May 18, 1984	Finders Keepers	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
June 1, 1984	Once Upon a Time in America	North American distribution with The Ladd Company only; produced by Embassy International Pictures
June 8, 1984	Gremlins	co-production with Amblin Entertainment
June 29, 1984	Cannonball Run II	North and Latin American distribution only;[15] co-production with Golden Harvest
July 20, 1984	The NeverEnding Story	North and Latin American, U.K., French and Scandinavian co-distribution with Producers Sales Organization only; produced by Neue Constantin Film
July 27, 1984	Purple Rain
August 3, 1984	Grandview, U.S.A.	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
August 17, 1984	Tightrope	co-production with The Malpaso Company
August 24, 1984	Cal	distribution in English-speaking territories only; produced by Goldcrest Films and Enigma Productions
September 21, 1984	Windy City	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
September 28, 1984	Irreconcilable Differences	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by Lantana Films[16]
October 19, 1984	The Little Drummer Girl
October 26, 1984	American Dreamer	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
November 2, 1984	The Killing Fields	North American and select international distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films, International Film Investors and Enigma Productions Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
November 7, 1984	Oh, God! You Devil
November 16, 1984	Razorback	North American and French distribution only; produced by UAA Films Limited
December 7, 1984	City Heat	co-production with The Malpaso Company
December 21, 1984	Protocol	co-production with Hawn/Sylbert Film Company

1985

Release date	Title	Notes
January 25, 1985	Fandango	co-production with Amblin Entertainment
February 15, 1985	Vision Quest	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company
	Beyond the Walls	U.S. theatrical distribution only
March 15, 1985	Lost in America	distribution only; produced by The Geffen Company
March 29, 1985		distribution only; produced by The Ladd Company
April 12, 1985	Ladyhawke	North American distribution only; co-production with 20th Century Fox
May 19, 1985	Doin' Time	North American, Australian and West German distribution with The Ladd Company only; produced by Filmcorp Productions
June 7, 1985	The Goonies	co-production with Amblin Entertainment Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2017
June 28, 1985	Pale Rider	co-production with The Malpaso Company
July 10, 1985		distribution only; produced by Kennedy Miller Productions
July 26, 1985	National Lampoon's European Vacation
August 2, 1985	Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird	co-production with Children's Television Workshop and Muppets, Inc.
August 9, 1985	Pee-wee's Big Adventure	co-production with Aspen Film Society
August 16, 1985	American Flyers
August 23, 1985	The Protector	North American, U.K., the Benelux and West German distribution only; produced by Golden Harvest
September 20, 1985		distribution outside Japan only; produced by Zoetrope Studios, Filmlink International and Lucasfilm, Ltd.[17]
October 11, 1985	Better Off Dead	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films and A&M Films
	After Hours	distribution with The Geffen Company only; produced by Double Play Productions[18]
October 25, 1985	Krush Groove	co-production with Crystalite Productions
November 1, 1985	Eleni	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films
November 8, 1985	Target	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by CBS Theatrical Films and The Zanuck/Brown Company
November 15, 1985	Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer	distribution only; produced by DiC Entertainment and Hallmark Properties
December 6, 1985	Spies Like Us	co-production with Landis/Folsey Productions
December 18, 1985	The Color Purple	co-production with Amblin Entertainment Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
December 25, 1985	Revolution	British film; North American, U.K. and French distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films and Viking Films

1986

Release date	Title	Notes
January 17, 1986	The Clan of the Cave Bear	North American distribution only; produced by Producers Sales Organization, The Guber-Peters Company, Jozak/Decade Productions and Jonesfilm
February 14, 1986	Wildcats	co-production with Hawn/Sylbert Film Company
February 21, 1986	The Frog Prince	North American distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films
March 21, 1986
April 25, 1986	Mr. Love	distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films and Enigma Productions
May 9, 1986	Seven Minutes in Heaven	distribution only; produced by Zoetrope Studios and FR Productions
May 23, 1986	Cobra	distribution outside U.S. television only; co-production with The Cannon Group, Inc.
July 2, 1986	Under the Cherry Moon
July 11, 1986	Club Paradise
August 8, 1986	One Crazy Summer	co-production with A&M Films
August 15, 1986		French film
October 1986	Knights & Emeralds	distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films and Enigma Productions
October 3, 1986	Round Midnight
October 10, 1986	True Stories	distribution only; produced by Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation and Gary Kurfirst Pictures[19]
	Deadly Friend	co-production with Pan Arts, Inc. and Layton Productions
October 17, 1986	Ratboy	co-production with Malpaso Productions
October 31, 1986	The Mission	British film; North American, U.K., Irish, Italian and Spanish distribution only; produced by Goldcrest Films, Kingsmere Productions and Enigma Productions Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
November 26, 1986	The Mosquito Coast	North American distribution only; produced by The Saul Zaentz Company
December 5, 1986	Heartbreak Ridge	co-production with Malpaso Productions
December 19, 1986	Little Shop of Horrors	distribution only; produced by The Geffen Company

1987

Release date	Title	Notes
January 28, 1987	Instant Justice	co-production with Mulloway Limited
February 12, 1987	Over the Top	North American distribution excluding television only; co-production with The Cannon Group, Inc.
March 6, 1987	Lethal Weapon	co-production with Silver Pictures
March 20, 1987	Burglar	co-production with Nelvana Entertainment
April 3, 1987
May 22, 1987		co-production with Larco Productions
	A Return to Salem's Lot
June 12, 1987	The Witches of Eastwick	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company and Kennedy Miller Productions
June 26, 1987	Full Metal Jacket	co-production with Harrier Films
July 1, 1987	Innerspace	co-production with Amblin Entertainment and The Guber-Peters Company
July 24, 1987		North American distribution excluding television and U.K. distribution only; co-production with The Cannon Group, Inc.
July 31, 1987	The Lost Boys
August 7, 1987	Who's That Girl	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company
August 14, 1987	Disorderlies
September 17, 1987	A Month Later	Dutch film; international distribution only; produced by Sigma Film Productions
October 9, 1987	Surrender	North American distribution excluding television only; co-production with The Cannon Group, Inc.
November 20, 1987	Nuts	co-production with Barwood Films Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
December 9, 1987	Empire of the Sun	co-production with Amblin Entertainment Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama

1988

Release date	Title	Notes
February 26, 1988	Frantic	co-production with The Mount Company
March 4, 1988	Moving
March 11, 1988	Stand and Deliver	distribution only; produced by American Playhouse Theatrical Films[20]
March 18, 1988
March 30, 1988	Beetlejuice	distribution only; produced by The Geffen Company
April 8, 1988	Above The Law
June 3, 1988	Funny Farm	co-production with Cornelius Productions and Pan Arts, Inc.
July 8, 1988
July 13, 1988	The Dead Pool	co-production with The Malpaso Company
July 22, 1988	Caddyshack II	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company
August 10, 1988	Clean and Sober	co-production with Imagine Entertainment
August 26, 1988	Stealing Home	co-production with The Mount Company
	Hot to Trot
September 9, 1988	Running on Empty	North American distribution and U.K. theatrical distribution only;[21] produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment and Double Play Productions Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
September 16, 1988	Crossing Delancey
September 23, 1988	Gorillas in the Mist	international distribution only; co-production with Universal Pictures and The Guber-Peters Company
September 24, 1988	Daffy Duck's Quackbusters	co-production with Warner Bros. Animation
September 30, 1988	Bird	co-production with Malpaso Productions
October 7, 1988
	Clara's Heart	co-production with MTM Entertainment
October 25, 1988		co-production with Malpaso Productions, Michael Blackwood Productions and Monk Film Project Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2017
October 28, 1988	Feds	distribution only[22]
November 4, 1988	Everybody's All-American	co-production with New Visions Productions
November 11, 1988	A Cry in the Dark	North American, Australian and New Zealand distribution only; produced by Cannon Entertainment and Cinema Verity Limited
December 2, 1988	Tequila Sunrise	co-production with The Mount Company
December 21, 1988	Dangerous Liaisons	co-production with Lorimar Film Entertainment and NFH Limited Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture
December 23, 1988	The Accidental Tourist	Nominee of the Academy Award for Best Picture Nominee of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama

1989

Release date	Title	Notes
February 3, 1989	Her Alibi
February 24, 1989	Bert Rigby, You're a Fool	distribution only; produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment and Clear Productions
March 3, 1989	Lean on Me
March 10, 1989
March 24, 1989	Dead Bang	North American distribution and U.K. and Irish theatrical distribution only;[23] produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment
April 7, 1989	Dead Calm	co-production with Kennedy Miller Productions
April 14, 1989	See You in the Morning	North American distribution and U.K. theatrical distribution only;[24] produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment
April 21, 1989	Checking Out	U.S. theatrical distribution only; produced by HandMade Films
May 5, 1989	How to Get Ahead in Advertising
May 26, 1989	Pink Cadillac	co-production with Malpaso Productions
June 23, 1989	Batman	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company and PolyGram Pictures (uncredited)
July 7, 1989	Lethal Weapon 2	co-production with Silver Pictures
August 4, 1989	Young Einstein
August 23, 1989	Cookie	distribution only; produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment
September 22, 1989	Penn & Teller Get Killed
September 29, 1989	In Country
October 20, 1989	Next of Kin	North and Latin American distribution, U.K., Irish and West German theatrical distribution only; produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment and Barry & Enright Productions
November 3, 1989	Second Sight	distribution only; produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment and Ursus Film
December 1, 1989	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation	co-production with Hughes Entertainment
December 15, 1989	Driving Miss Daisy	North American, U.K. and Irish distribution only; co-production with The Zanuck Company[25] Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture; winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
December 20, 1989	Roger & Me	distribution only; produced by Dog Eat Dog Films[26]
December 21, 1989	The Delinquents	distribution outside Australia and New Zealand only; co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures
December 22, 1989	Tango & Cash	co-production with The Guber-Peters Company

See also

• List of New Line Cinema films
• List of films based on DC Comics
• List of Warner Bros. theatrical animated feature films

Notes and References

1. Web site: No Nukes (1980) . 2024-11-12 . . A brief in the 1 Apr 1980 DV reported that Warner Bros. had picked up the worldwide distribution rights..
2. Web site: Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) . 2024-11-10 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
3. Web site: Eyes of a Stranger (1981) . 2024-11-12 . . An item in the 31 Dec 1980 Var announced that Warner Bros. had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film..
4. Web site: Ms. 45 (1981) . 2024-11-10 . . 1 May 1981 release at eighty New York City theaters was planned with Rochelle Films handling domestic distribution and Warner Bros. taking on worldwide distribution in Jul 1980..
5. Web site: Creepshow (1982) . 2024-11-12 . . On 15 May 1982, LAHExam announced that Warner Bros. had taken over as the film’s domestic distributor, following a bidding war, which also included Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures, according to a 10 Jun 1982 DV (Daily Variety) article..
6. Web site: High Road to China (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
7. Web site: The Outsiders (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
8. Web site: Stroker Ace (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
9. Web site: Twice Upon a Time (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
10. Web site: Cujo (1983) . ofdb.de.
11. Web site: Cujo (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
12. Web site: Never Say Never Again (1983) . Danish Film Database.
13. Web site: Never Say Never Again (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
14. Web site: Of Unknown Origin (1983) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
15. Web site: Um Rally Muito Louco - Burt Reynolds - Shirley Maclaine Raro . produto.mercadolivre.com.br.
16. Web site: Irreconcilable Differences (1984) . 2024-11-12 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
17. Web site: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) . 2024-11-11 . . According to a 23 May 1984 article in Var and a 2 May 1985 article in DV, Warner Bros. invested $3 million in exchange for distribution rights in all territories except Japan..
18. Web site: After Hours (1985) . 2024-11-11 . . Var reported that once Scorsese committed to the film, the Geffen Company agreed to a “negative pick up” deal. Geffen contributed $500,000 on top of the original $3.5 million budget, increasing the budget to $4 million; in exchange for distribution rights and a share of the profits..
19. Web site: True Stories (1986) . 2024-11-11 . . On 18 Aug 1986, HR announced that Warner Bros. Pictures had acquired domestic and international distribution rights, and a release was planned for Oct 1986..
20. Web site: Stand and Deliver (1988) . 2024-11-11 . . According to a 17 Mar 1988 HR “Hollywood Report” column, Warner Bros. changed the title to Stand and Deliver after acquiring distribution rights, also adding the song “Stand and Deliver” by Mr. Mister to end credits..
21. Web site: Running on Empty (15) . British Board of Film Classification.
22. Web site: Feds (1988) . 2024-11-11 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
23. Web site: Dead Bang (18) . British Board of Film Classification.
24. Web site: See You In The Morning (15) . British Board of Film Classification.
25. Web site: Driving Miss Daisy (1989) . 2024-11-11 . AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
26. Web site: Roger & Me (1989) . 2024-11-11 . . The following week, a 31 Oct 1989 HR article announced that Warner Bros. acquired worldwide distribution rights for $2.5 million, with an additional $2.5 million guaranteed for prints and advertising..