1984 Films

The following is an overview of events in 1984 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

The year's highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada was ''Beverly Hills Cop''. ''Ghostbusters'' overtook it, however, with a re-release the following year. It was the first time in five years that the top-grossing film did not involve George Lucas or Steven Spielberg although Spielberg directed and Lucas executive produced/co-wrote the third placed '' Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (the highest-grossing film worldwide that year); Spielberg also executive produced the fourth placed ''Gremlins''.

U.S. box office grosses reached $4 billion for the first time and it was the first year that two films had returned over $100 million to their distributors with both ''Ghostbusters'' and ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' achieving this. ''Beverly Hills Cop'' made it three for films released in 1984 after its performance during 1985 took it to rentals of $108 million. Other popular films included ''The NeverEnding Story'', which was the most expensive film produced in West Germany, ''The Karate Kid'' and ''Romancing the Stone''. A high number of sci-fi/fantasy films were released in 1984.

Highest-grossing films

United States

The top ten 1984 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

International

Events

*February 15 - The Walt Disney Studios establishes Touchstone Pictures to release films with more mature subject matter than the traditional Walt Disney Pictures banner.
*March 30 - ''Romancing the Stone'' is released and propels stars Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny DeVito and director Robert Zemeckis to super-stardom. The film also gave Zemeckis his first box office hit, which gave Universal Pictures confidence to allow him to direct his next film, ''Back to the Future''.
*April 6 - Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film, ''Where the Boys Are '84''.
*May 4 - The first of the year's breakdancing musicals is released, ''Breakin'''. It is soon followed by ''Beat Street'' and its sequel, '' Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo''.
*July 1 - The Motion Picture Association of America institutes the PG-13 rating, as a response to violent horror films such as ''Gremlins'' and '' Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom''.
*July 27 - Prince's first film '' Purple Rain'' is released.
*August 25 - ''Ghostbusters'' becomes the biggest grossing comedy film of all-time in the United States exceeding ''Tootsie'' $177.2 million going on to gross $229.2 million in its initial run. It is overtaken by ''Beverly Hills Cop'' in summer 1985 but regains the record after its re-release in August 1985. It also became the biggest grossing film released by Columbia Pictures.
*September 22 - Michael Eisner leaves Paramount Pictures to become head of Walt Disney Productions, while Frank Wells became chief operating officer and Jeffrey Katzenberg was later named chairman.
*October 8 - Ned Tanen becomes president of Paramount Pictures motion picture group.
*December 5 - ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is released. It will go on to become the 6th highest-grossing film of all time in the U.S. at the time, the highest grossing comedy of all time at the time, as well as the highest grossing R-Rated film of all time, a record it would hold for 19 years.
*December 14 - ''Dune