1984 in film

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 was Beverly Hills Cop. Ghostbusters overtook it, however, with a re-release the following year. 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 (U.S.)
See also: List of 1984 box office number-one films in the United States

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

Highest-grossing films of 1984[1]

Rank

Title

Studio

Domestic gross

1. Beverly Hills Cop Paramount Pictures $234,760,478 2. Ghostbusters Columbia Pictures $229,242,989 3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Paramount Pictures / Lucasfilm $179,870,271 4. Gremlins Warner Bros. $153,083,102 5. The Karate Kid Columbia Pictures $90,815,558 6. Police Academy Warner Bros. / The Ladd Company $81,198,894 7. Footloose Paramount Pictures $80,035,402 8. Romancing the Stone 20th Century Fox $76,572,238 9. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Paramount Pictures $76,471,076 10. Splash Touchstone Pictures $69,821,334

Events
The Walt Disney Studios establishes Touchstone Pictures to release films with more mature subject matter than the traditional Walt Disney Pictures banner. Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film. Michael Eisner becomes head of Walt Disney Productions, while Frank Wells became chief operating officer and Jeffrey Katzenberg was named chairman. Prince's first film Purple Rain is released. Annie's Coming Out wins AFI Award (Australia) The Motion Picture Association of America institutes the PG-13 rating, as a response to violent movies such as Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Romancing the Stone is released and propelled 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.

Awards
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Academy Awards: Best Picture: AmadeusBest Director: Miloš Forman - AmadeusBest Actor: F. Murray Abraham - AmadeusBest Actress: Sally Field - Places in the HeartBest Supporting Actor: Haing S. Ngor - The Killing FieldsBest Supporting Actress: Peggy Ashcroft - A Passage to IndiaBest Foreign Language Film: La diagonale du fou (Dangerous Moves), directed by Richard Dembo, Switzerland Golden Globe Awards: Drama:Best Picture: AmadeusBest Actor: F. Murray Abraham - AmadeusBest Actress: Sally Field - Places in the HeartMusical or comedy:Best Picture: Romancing the StoneBest Actor: Dudley Moore - Micki & MaudeBest Actress: Kathleen Turner - Romancing the StoneOtherBest Director: Miloš Forman - AmadeusBest Foreign English Language Film: A Passage to India, U.K. / U.S.A. Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders, France / W. Germany Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): A Year of the Quiet Sun (Rok spokojnego slonca), directed by Krzysztof Zanussi, Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): Love Streams, directed by John Cassavetes, United States

Notable films released in 1984

 * 1) Supergirl

Film debuts
Jesse Bradford - Falling in Love Jennifer Connelly - Once Upon a Time in America Jon Cryer - No Small Affair Johnny Depp - A Nightmare on Elm Street Tate Donovan - No Small Affair Colin Firth - Another Country Rupert Everett - Another Country Sarah Michelle Gellar - Over the Brooklyn Bridge Heather Graham - Mrs. Soffel Seth Green - Billions for Boris Jennifer Grey - Reckless Val Kilmer - Top Secret! Andie MacDowell - Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Kyle MacLachlan - Dune John Malkovich - Places in the Heart Frances McDormand - Blood Simple Connie Nielsen - Par où t'es rentré ? On t'a pas vu sortir Aidan Quinn - Reckless Lou Diamond Phillips - Interface Tim Roth - The Hit Charlie Sheen - Red Dawn Elisabeth Shue - The Karate Kid Helen Slater - Supergirl Jennifer Tilly - No Small Affair Marisa Tomei - The Flamingo Kid Jean-Claude Van Damme - Breakin' Lars von Trier (director) Ken Watanabe - MacArthur's Children Damon Wayans - Beverly Hills Cop Michelle Yeoh - The Owl vs Bombo Daphne Zuniga - The Initiation