1980 in film

The top ten 1980 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: ==Worldwide gross revenue==

The following table lists known worldwide gross revenue figures for several high-grossing films that originally released in 1980. Note that this list is incomplete and is therefore not representative of the highest-grossing films worldwide in 1980. == Events ==

• April 29 – Sir Alfred Hitchcock, known as "The Master of Suspense", dies at his home in Bel Air, California, at the age of 80. • May 21 – The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the highest-grossing film of the year (just as its predecessor, Star Wars, was three years prior). • June 9 – Richard Pryor sets himself on fire while free-basing cocaine and drinking 151-proof rum. Pryor ran down his street in Northridge, California, until subdued by police. • June 20 – The Blues Brothers is released, and in addition to becoming one of the top-grossing films of the year, it also became the first feature film to be based on characters created on Saturday Night Live. • June 23 – Filming begins on George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's first Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark. • November 4 – Former Screen Actors Guild president and film actor Ronald Reagan wins the 1980 United States presidential election in a landslide victory. • November 7- Legendary actor Steve McQueen dies at the age of 50 after surgery to remove tumours in his neck after previously been diagnosed with lung cancer. • November 19 – ''Heaven's Gate'' becomes one of the biggest box office bombs of all-time and its colossal failure bankrupts United Artists. • Allied Artists is sold to Lorimar Productions. ==Context==

Industry professionals predicted comedy films and upbeat entertainment to dominate theaters in 1980. This was a response to poor morale in a nation suffering through economic recession, which generally increased theatrical visits as audiences sought escapism and ignored romantic films and depictions of blue-collar life. The financial success and low cost of production cost of comedies such as Blazing Saddles (1974) and Animal House (1978), had further driven demand for comedies; Airplane!, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, and The Jerk, were all scheduled for release that year. The average cost of making films had risen to $6million which had reduced the number of films being made for niche audiences. Some studios continued to release a wide variety of films, hoping that few significant successes would compensate for other failures. == Awards ==

'''Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):''' :All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, United States :Kagemusha, 影武者 (Shadow Warrior), directed by Akira Kurosawa, Japan Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): :Atlantic City, directed by Louis Malle, US / Canada / France :Gloria, directed by John Cassavetes, United States Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): :Heartland, directed by Richard Pearce, United States :Palermo or Wolfsburg (Palermo oder Wolfsburg), directed by Werner Schroeter, West Germany '''People's Choice Award (Toronto International Film Festival):''' :Bad Timing, directed by Nicolas Roeg, United Kingdom ==Births==

• January 2 - David Gyasi, British actor • January 4 • June Diane Raphael, American actress and comedian • D'Arcy Carden, American actress and comedian • Greg Cipes, voice actor • January 7 • Hele Kõrve, Estonian actress and singer • Simon Woods, English actor and writer • January 8 • Sam Riley, English actor and singer • January 10 • Katie Dippold, American actress, writer and screenwriter • Sarah Shahi, American actress and former model • January 16 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, American singer-songwriter and actor • January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American singer-songwriter and actress • January 18 • Estelle, British singer, songwriter, record producer and actress • Jason Segel, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, author and producer • January 19 – Luke Macfarlane, American actor • January 21 • Nana Mizuki, Japanese singer and voice actress • Kim Sharma, Indian actress • January 22 - Christopher Masterson, American actor • January 29 - Jason James Richter, American actor and musician • January 30 – Wilmer Valderrama, American actor • February 2 – Zhang Jingchu, Chinese actress • February 3 - Ben Turner, British-Iranian actor • February 6 - Ben Lawson, Australian actor • February 8 • William Jackson Harper, American actor • Sinead Matthews, English actress • February 9 - Margarita Levieva, Russian-American actress • February 11 – Matthew Lawrence, American actor • February 12 • Christina Ricci, American actress • Enver Gjokaj, American actor • Sarah Lancaster, American actress • February 14 – Michelle Ye, Hong Kong actress and producer • February 17 - Jason Ritter, American actor, voice actor and producer • February 21 • Justin Roiland, American voice actor, animator, writer, and producer • Brendan Sexton III, American actor • February 25 • Chris Knowings, American actor • Christy Knowings, American actress and comedian • Rashaan Nall, American writer, director, screenwriter and actor • February 26 - Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Icelandic actor • February 27 - Stephen Wight, English actor • February 28 • Denise Gough, Irish actress • Charles Halford, American actor • February 29 • Steven Cree, Scottish actor • Peter Scanavino, American actor • March 2 - Rebel Wilson, Australian actress, comedian, writer and producer • March 3 • Meiling Melançon, American actress and screenwriter • Katherine Waterston, American actress • March 5 - Jessica Boehrs, German actress and singer • March 7 • Laura Prepon, American actress • Mart Toome, Estonian actor • March 9 – Matthew Gray Gubler, American actor • March 13 - Nathan Phillips, Australian actor • March 17 - Katie Morgan, American pornographic actress • March 18 - Sophia Myles, English actress • March 20 - Mikey Day, American actor and comedian • March 23 - Itay Tiran, Israeli actor and director • March 25 - Tinsel Korey, Canadian actress and singer-songwriter • March 30 - Fiona Gubelmann, American actress • March 31 • Christine Barger, American actress • Kate Micucci, American actress • Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese singer and voice actress • April 4 - Collette Wolfe, American actress • April 8 • Carrie Savage, American voice actress • Katee Sackhoff, American actress • April 10 – Charlie Hunnam, British actor and screenwriter • April 11 - Julia Chantrey, Canadian actress • April 13 • Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress • Kelli Giddish, American actress • April 14 • Tom Franco, American actor • Claire Coffee, American actress • April 15 - Arian Moayed, Iranian-born American actor, writer and director • April 17 • Nicholas D'Agosto, American actor • Samantha Soule, American actress • April 21 - Hadley Fraser, English actor and singer • April 22 - Rodrigo Hilbert, Brazilian television presenter, actor, and former model • April 24 - Reagan Gomez-Preston, American actress • April 25 • Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television presenter • Céline Sallette, French actress • April 26 • Jordana Brewster, American actress • Anna Mucha, Polish actress • Marnette Patterson, American actress • Channing Tatum, American actor • Damien Dante Wayans, American actor, screenwriter, producer and director • April 30 - Sam Heughan, Scottish actor • May 2 - Ellie Kemper, American actress and comedian • May 5 - Zach McGowan, American actor • May 8 • Jasen Fisher, American former child actor • Kimberlee Peterson, American actress • May 14 - Sérgio Guizé, Brazilian actor • May 18 - Matt Long, American actor • May 19 - Chris Jarvis, English actor • May 20 - Cauã Reymond, Brazilian actor • May 22 • Nazanin Boniadi, British actress • Lucy Gordon, English actress and model (died 2009) • Evelin Võigemast, Estonian actress • May 23 • D. J. Cotrona, American actor • Chris Gethard, American actor, comedian and writer • May 25 - Will Janowitz, American actor • May 27 - Ben Feldman, American actor and producer • May 28 - Kelly Fremon Craig, American screenwriter, producer and director • May 29 - Adam Brown, English actor and comedian • June 1 - Oliver James, English musician and former actor • June 3 - Billy Slaughter, American actor • June 10 - Jessica DiCicco, American film, television and voice actress • June 15 - Candace Brown, American actress and comedian • June 16 – Sibel Kekilli, German actress • June 18 - David Giuntoli, American actor • June 19 • Neil Brown Jr., American actor • Lauren Lee Smith, Canadian actress • June 20 - Tika Sumpter, American actress, singer, producer, television host and model • June 21 • Preeya Kalidas, British singer and actress • Wanuri Kahiu, Kenyan film director, producer, and author • June 22 - Javone Prince, British comedian and actor • June 23 • Heath Freeman, American actor (died 2021) • Melissa Rauch, American actress and comedian • June 24 – Minka Kelly, American actress • June 26 - Jason Schwartzman, American actor, producer and musician • July 1 - Fortune Feimster, American comedian • July 3 – Olivia Munn, American actress • July 4 - Max Elliott Slade, American former child actor • July 6 – Eva Green, French actress • July 7 - Marika Domińczyk, Polish-American actress • July 10 • James Rolfe, American filmmaker, actor, YouTuber and online personality • Jessica Simpson, American singer and actress • Thomas Ian Nicholas, American actor • Aaron Staton, American actor • July 12 • Kristen Connolly, American actress • Mylène Jampanoï, French actress • Tom Price, Welsh actor and comedian • July 15 – Jasper Pääkkönen, Finnish actor and film producer • July 17 – Brett Goldstein, British actor and comedian • July 18 – Kristen Bell, American actress • July 19 • Mark Webber, American actor, screenwriter and director • Chris Sullivan, American actor • July 27 - Ewen Leslie, Australian actor • July 29 - Rachel Miner, American actress • July 30 - April Bowlby, American actress • August 3 • Hannah Simone, Canadian actress • Teuku Rifnu Wikana, Indonesian actor • August 5 - Sophie Winkleman, English actress • August 6 • Monique Ganderton, Canadian stunt performer and actress • Rory Scovel, American actor and comedian • August 8 – Marisa Quintanilla, American actress • August 9 - Stephen Schneider, American actor • August 10 • Pua Magasiva, New Zealand actor (died 2019) • August 11 - Merritt Wever, American actress • August 12 - Dominique Swain, American actress and producer • August 13 - Álex González, Spanish actor • August 14 - Adrienne C. Moore, American actress • August 15 - Natalie Press, English actress • August 18 – Preeti Jhangiani, Indian actress • August 19 • Adam Campbell, English actor • Aaron Horvath, American animator, screenwriter, producer and director • August 20 - Corey Carrier, American former child actor • August 21 - John Brotherton, American actor • August 23 - Joanne Froggatt, English actress • August 25 – Jackie Tohn, American actress and singer • August 26 • Macaulay Culkin, American actor • Chris Pine, American actor • August 31 - Leo Bill, English actor • September 1 - Lara Pulver, English actress • September 7 • J. D. Pardo, American actor • Alex Hassell, English actor • September 9 – Michelle Williams, American actress • September 12 - Hiroyuki Sawano, Japanese music composer • September 13 – Ben Savage, American actor • September 13 – Cristiana Capotondi, Italian actress • September 18 - Charity Wakefield, English actress • September 19 - Benjamin Davies, Scottish actor • September 21 • Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress • Autumn Reeser, American actress • September 25 • T.I., American actor and rapper • Chris Owen, American actor • September 29 • Zachary Levi, American actor and singer • Chrissy Metz, American actress • September 30 - Toni Trucks, American actress • October 1 - Sarah Drew, American actress • October 3 - Daniel DeSanto, Canadian actor and voice actor • October 4 • Nick Mohammed, English actor, comedian and writer • Morgan Spector, American actor • October 6 • David Alpay, Canadian actor, musician and producer • Jenny Wade, American actress • October 8 • Nick Cannon, American comedian, rapper and television host • Nathan Head, British actor • October 14 – Ben Whishaw, English actor • October 18 • Erin Dean, American former actress • Natasha Rothwell, American writer, actress and comedian • October 19 – Benjamin Salisbury, American actor • October 21 • Kim Kardashian, American media personality, model and actress • Lino Musella, Italian actor • October 23 - Robert Belushi, American actor • October 24 • Casey Wilson, American actress and comedian • Monica, American singer-songwriter, producer and actress • October 25 - Mehcad Brooks, American actor • October 28 - Wes Ball, American film director and artist • October 29 – Ben Foster, American actor • October 30 - Sarah Carter, Canadian actress • October 31 • Samaire Armstrong, American actress • Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor • November 1 - Dani Rovira, Spanish comedian and actor • November 2 - Kim So-yeon, South Korean actress • November 5 - Luke Hemsworth, Australian actor • November 8 - Brooke Lyons, American actress • November 9 - Vanessa Lachey, American actress, fashion model and television host • November 10 - Alberta Mayne, Canadian actress • November 12 • Ryan Gosling, Canadian actor • Gustaf Skarsgård, Swedish actor • November 13 - Monique Coleman, American actress • November 17 - Stuart Stone, Canadian actor • November 18 - Mathew Baynton, English actor, writer, comedian, singer and musician • November 23 - Tannishtha Chatterjee, Indian actress and director • November 29 - Jason Griffith, American actor and voice actor • December 3 • Anna Chlumsky, American actress • Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer • December 5 - Jessica Paré, Canadian actress • December 8 - Juliette Danielle, American actress • December 9 – Simon Helberg, American actor and comedian • December 13 - Satoshi Tsumabuki, Japanese actor • December 15 - Yuri Kolokolnikov, Russian actor • December 16 - Michael Jibson, English actor, director, writer and voice over artist • December 18 • Christina Aguilera, American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality • Neil Fingleton, English actor (died 2017) • Kirsty Strain, Scottish actress • December 19 • Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor • Marla Sokoloff, American actress • December 22 - Chris Carmack, American actor • December 26 - Jared Van Snellenberg, American former actor • December 27 - Elizabeth Rodriguez, American actress • December 30 – Eliza Dushku, American actress • December 31 – Rosanne Mulholland, Brazilian actress ==Deaths==