Cape Fear (1991)

Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $79,091,969Details
International Box Office $103,200,000Details
Worldwide Box Office $182,291,969
OpusData ID: 5990100
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$10,261,025 (13.0% of total gross)
Legs:7.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:43.4% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$35,000,000 (worldwide box office is 5.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:924 opening theaters/1,707 max. theaters, 5.3 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $212,477,464

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,140 $79,091,969
All Time International Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,124 $103,200,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,077 $182,291,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 268 $79,091,969
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 219 $103,200,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 223 $182,291,969

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 15th, 1991 (Wide) by Universal
International Releases: March 27th, 1992 (Wide) (New Zealand)
November 13th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: February 3rd, 1993 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, and for language.
Running Time: 128 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Goodfellas
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Revenge, Film Noir, Psychological Thriller, 1970s, Lawyers, Sex Crimes, Illiteracy / Learning to Read, Remake
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Thriller/Suspense
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Tribeca Film, Amblin Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 176 $9,260,475 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 118 $25,933,732 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 209 $9,260,475 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 131 $20,148,684 Nov 29, 1991 17

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,140 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 601-700) 675 $212,477,464
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 801-900) 808 $79,091,969
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1991 12 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 260 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 847 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 447 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 70 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 268 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 158 $79,091,969

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 15, 1991 1 $10,261,025   924 $11,105   $10,261,025 1
Nov 22, 1991 2 $10,033,295 -2% 1,702 $5,895   $24,251,112 2
Nov 29, 1991 4 $9,260,475 -8% 1,707 $5,425   $39,156,382 3
Dec 6, 1991 5 $4,856,355 -48% 1,701 $2,855   $46,044,067 4
Dec 13, 1991 7 $2,944,725 -39% 1,659 $1,775   $50,405,747 5
Dec 20, 1991 10 $2,116,700 -28% 1,388 $1,525   $54,462,805 6

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 15, 1991 1 $14,217,817   924 $15,387   $14,217,817 1
Nov 22, 1991 2 $15,678,090 +10% 1,702 $9,212   $29,895,907 2
Nov 29, 1991 4 $11,291,805 -28% 1,707 $6,615   $41,187,712 3
Dec 6, 1991 5 $6,273,310 -44% 1,701 $3,688   $47,461,022 4
Dec 13, 1991 7 $4,885,083 -22% 1,659 $2,945   $52,346,105 5

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
New Zealand 3/27/1992 $0 0 0 0 $67 11/24/2025
 
Rest of World $103,199,933
 
International Total$103,200,000 11/24/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,124 $103,200,000
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 746 $103,200,000
Top 1991 Movies at the International Box Office 8 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 244 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 701-800) 796 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 406 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 65 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 219 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 134 $103,200,000

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,077 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 724 $182,291,969
Top 1991 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 8 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 229 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 701-800) 757 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 301-400) 386 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 70 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 223 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 142 $182,291,969

Leading Cast

Robert De Niro    Max Cady
Nick Nolte    Sam Bowden
Jessica Lange    Leigh Bowden
Juliette Lewis    Danielle Bowden

Supporting Cast

Joe Don Baker    Claude Kersek
Robert Mitchum    Lieutenant Elgart
Gregory Peck    Lee Heller
Martin Balsam    Judge
Fred Dalton Thompson    Tom Broadbent
Illeana Douglas    Lori Davis
Zully Montero    Graciela
Craig Henne    Prisoner
Forest Burton    Prisoner
Edgar Allan Poe IV    Prisoner
Rod Ball    Prisoner
W. Paul Bodie    Prisoner
Joel Kolker    Correction Officer
Tamara Jones    Ice Cream Cashier
Roger Pretto    Racquetball Colleague
Parris Buckner    Racquetball Colleague
Margot Moreland    Secretary
Will Knickerbocker    Detective
Robert L. Gerlach    Arresting Officer
Bruce E. Holdstein    Arresting Officer
Richard Wasserman    Parade Watcher
Paul Nagel Jr.    Parade Watcher
Paul Froehler    Parade Watcher
Mary Ellen O'Brien    Parade Watcher
Jody Wilson    Parade Watcher
Kate Colburn    Waitress
Domenica Cameron Scorsese    Danny's Girlfriend
Gar Stephen    Big Man
Billy Lucas    Big Man
Ken Collins    Big Man
Linda Perri    Ticket Agent
Elizabeth Moyer    Ticket Agent
Catherine Scorsese    Fruit Stand Customers
Charles Scorsese    Fruit Stand Customers
Jackie Davis    Jimmy the Dockmaster

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Martin Scorsese    Director
Barbara De Fina    Producer
Wesley Strick    Screenwriter
Kathleen Kennedy    Executive Producer
Frank Marshall    Executive Producer
Freddie Francis    Director of Photography
Henry Bumstead    Production Designer
Thelma Schoonmaker    Editor
Elmer Bernstein    Composer
Joseph Reidy    Assistant Director
Deborah Lee    Second Unit Director
Deborah Lee    Unit Production Manager
Jack G. Taylor, Jr    Art Director
Alan Hicks    Set Decorator
Pete Romano    Underwater Photography
Rita Ryack    Costume Designer
Linda Hamilton    Costume Supervisor
Vivian J. Cocheo    Costume Designer
Tod A. Maitland    Sound Mixer
Tom Fleischman    Re-recording Mixer
Skip Lievsay    Supervising Sound Editor
Philip Stockton    Supervising
Marissa Littlefield    Dialogue Editor
Kathy Durning    Music Editor
Bernard Herrmann    Original Score
James R. Webb    Based on the Screenplay
John D. MacDonald    Story Creator
Ellen Lewis    Casting Director
Leon Delaney    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$10,261,025 (13.0% of total gross)
Legs:7.71 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:43.4% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$35,000,000 (worldwide box office is 5.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:924 opening theaters/1,707 max. theaters, 5.3 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $212,477,464

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,140 $79,091,969
All Time International Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,124 $103,200,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,077 $182,291,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 268 $79,091,969
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 219 $103,200,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 223 $182,291,969

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 15th, 1991 (Wide) by Universal
International Releases: March 27th, 1992 (Wide) (New Zealand)
November 13th, 2025 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Video Release: February 3rd, 1993 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, and for language.
Running Time: 128 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Goodfellas
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Revenge, Film Noir, Psychological Thriller, 1970s, Lawyers, Sex Crimes, Illiteracy / Learning to Read, Remake
Source:Based on Fiction Book/Short Story
Genre:Thriller/Suspense
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Tribeca Film, Amblin Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 176 $9,260,475 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 118 $25,933,732 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 209 $9,260,475 Nov 29, 1991 17
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 131 $20,148,684 Nov 29, 1991 17

Leading Cast

Robert De Niro    Max Cady
Nick Nolte    Sam Bowden
Jessica Lange    Leigh Bowden
Juliette Lewis    Danielle Bowden

Supporting Cast

Joe Don Baker    Claude Kersek
Robert Mitchum    Lieutenant Elgart
Gregory Peck    Lee Heller
Martin Balsam    Judge
Fred Dalton Thompson    Tom Broadbent
Illeana Douglas    Lori Davis
Zully Montero    Graciela
Craig Henne    Prisoner
Forest Burton    Prisoner
Edgar Allan Poe IV    Prisoner
Rod Ball    Prisoner
W. Paul Bodie    Prisoner
Joel Kolker    Correction Officer
Tamara Jones    Ice Cream Cashier
Roger Pretto    Racquetball Colleague
Parris Buckner    Racquetball Colleague
Margot Moreland    Secretary
Will Knickerbocker    Detective
Robert L. Gerlach    Arresting Officer
Bruce E. Holdstein    Arresting Officer
Richard Wasserman    Parade Watcher
Paul Nagel Jr.    Parade Watcher
Paul Froehler    Parade Watcher
Mary Ellen O'Brien    Parade Watcher
Jody Wilson    Parade Watcher
Kate Colburn    Waitress
Domenica Cameron Scorsese    Danny's Girlfriend
Gar Stephen    Big Man
Billy Lucas    Big Man
Ken Collins    Big Man
Linda Perri    Ticket Agent
Elizabeth Moyer    Ticket Agent
Catherine Scorsese    Fruit Stand Customers
Charles Scorsese    Fruit Stand Customers
Jackie Davis    Jimmy the Dockmaster

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Martin Scorsese    Director
Barbara De Fina    Producer
Wesley Strick    Screenwriter
Kathleen Kennedy    Executive Producer
Frank Marshall    Executive Producer
Freddie Francis    Director of Photography
Henry Bumstead    Production Designer
Thelma Schoonmaker    Editor
Elmer Bernstein    Composer
Joseph Reidy    Assistant Director
Deborah Lee    Second Unit Director
Deborah Lee    Unit Production Manager
Jack G. Taylor, Jr    Art Director
Alan Hicks    Set Decorator
Pete Romano    Underwater Photography
Rita Ryack    Costume Designer
Linda Hamilton    Costume Supervisor
Vivian J. Cocheo    Costume Designer
Tod A. Maitland    Sound Mixer
Tom Fleischman    Re-recording Mixer
Skip Lievsay    Supervising Sound Editor
Philip Stockton    Supervising
Marissa Littlefield    Dialogue Editor
Kathy Durning    Music Editor
Bernard Herrmann    Original Score
James R. Webb    Based on the Screenplay
John D. MacDonald    Story Creator
Ellen Lewis    Casting Director
Leon Delaney    Stunt Coordinator

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,140 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 601-700) 675 $212,477,464
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 801-900) 808 $79,091,969
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1991 12 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 260 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 801-900) 847 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 447 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 70 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 268 $79,091,969
All Time Domestic Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 158 $79,091,969

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 15, 1991 1 $10,261,025   924 $11,105   $10,261,025 1
Nov 22, 1991 2 $10,033,295 -2% 1,702 $5,895   $24,251,112 2
Nov 29, 1991 4 $9,260,475 -8% 1,707 $5,425   $39,156,382 3
Dec 6, 1991 5 $4,856,355 -48% 1,701 $2,855   $46,044,067 4
Dec 13, 1991 7 $2,944,725 -39% 1,659 $1,775   $50,405,747 5
Dec 20, 1991 10 $2,116,700 -28% 1,388 $1,525   $54,462,805 6

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 15, 1991 1 $14,217,817   924 $15,387   $14,217,817 1
Nov 22, 1991 2 $15,678,090 +10% 1,702 $9,212   $29,895,907 2
Nov 29, 1991 4 $11,291,805 -28% 1,707 $6,615   $41,187,712 3
Dec 6, 1991 5 $6,273,310 -44% 1,701 $3,688   $47,461,022 4
Dec 13, 1991 7 $4,885,083 -22% 1,659 $2,945   $52,346,105 5

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
New Zealand 3/27/1992 $0 0 0 0 $67 11/24/2025
 
Rest of World $103,199,933
 
International Total$103,200,000 11/24/2025

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,124 $103,200,000
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 746 $103,200,000
Top 1991 Movies at the International Box Office 8 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 244 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 701-800) 796 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 401-500) 406 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 65 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 219 $103,200,000
All Time International Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 134 $103,200,000

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,077 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 701-800) 724 $182,291,969
Top 1991 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 8 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Based on Fiction Book/Short Story Movies (Rank 201-300) 229 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 701-800) 757 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Contemporary Fiction Movies (Rank 301-400) 386 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Thriller/Suspense Movies 70 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies (Rank 201-300) 223 $182,291,969
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Universal Movies (Rank 101-200) 142 $182,291,969