Domestic 1981 Weekend 51
December 18-20, 1981
Key:New This Week
| Rank | LW | Release | Gross | %± LW | Theaters | Change | Average | Total Gross | Weeks | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | Neighbors | $6,481,386 | - | 1,387 | - | $4,672 | $6,481,386 | 1 | Columbia Pictures |
| 2 | - | Sharky's Machine | $3,022,041 | - | 1,388 | - | $2,177 | $3,022,041 | 1 | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | - | Absence of Malice | $2,427,365 | - | 816 | - | $2,974 | $2,590,144 | 5 | Columbia Pictures |
| 4 | 2 | Taps | $2,110,078 | +2,168.8% | 455 | +452 | $4,637 | $2,265,086 | 2 | Twentieth Century Fox |
| 5 | - | Ghost Story | $2,105,729 | - | 548 | - | $3,842 | $2,105,729 | 1 | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | - | Cinderella 1981 Re-release | $1,300,000 | - | 560 | - | $2,321 | $1,300,000 | 1 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| 7 | - | Heartbeeps | $407,464 | - | 493 | - | $826 | $407,464 | 1 | Universal Pictures |
| 8 | 3 | On Golden Pond | $55,236 | -28.7% | 2 | - | $27,618 | $327,285 | 3 | Universal Pictures |
