# List of 1981 box office number-one films in the United Kingdom

Here are all the number-one box office movies to come out of the year 1981 in the United Kingdom. Gross figures represent "an approximation" by 25th Frame.

## Number-one Films

| † | This implies the highest-grossing movie of the year. |
| Date | Title | Studio | Gross |
| 2 January 1981 | Flash Gordon | Starling Productions & Famous Films | £998,018 |
| 9 January 1981 | Any Which Way You Can | The Malpaso Company | £997,257 |
| 16 January 1981 | Any Which Way You Can | The Malpaso Company | £881,047 |
| 23 January 1981 | Any Which Way You Can | The Malpaso Company | £822,942 |
| 30 January 1981 | Any Which Way You Can | The Malpaso Company | £558,105 |
| 6 February 1981 | The Jazz Singer | EMI Films | £362,500 |
| 13 February 1981 | Prom Night | Simcom Productions & Prom Night Productions | £295,925 |
| 20 February 1981 | Raging Bull | Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Inc. | £300,864 |
| 27 February 1981 | Raging Bull | Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Inc. | £200,720 |
| 6 March 1981 | Ordinary People | Wildwood Enterprises, Inc | £512,782 |
| 13 March 1981 | Private Benjamin | Warner Bros. | £503,125 |
| 20 March 1981 | Private Benjamin | Warner Bros. | £485,938 |
| 27 March 1981 | 9 to 5 | IPC Films | £618,218 |
| 3 April 1981 | 9 to 5 | IPC Films | £451,694 |
| 10 April 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £1,008,333 |
| 17 April 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £1,009,166 |
| 24 April 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £922,917 |
| 1 May 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £873,134 |
| 8 May 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £744,791 |
| 15 May 1981 | Chariots of Fire | Allied Stars Ltd & Enigma Productions | £856,058 |
| 22 May 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £611,197 |
| 29 May 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £589,932 |
| 5 June 1981 | Chariots of Fire | Allied Stars Ltd & Enigma Productions | £174,244 |
| 12 June 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £138,891 |
| 19 June 1981 | Superman II † | Dovemead Ltd. & International Film Production | £102,780 |
| 26 June 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Eon Productions | £928,200 |
| 3 July 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Eon Productions | £849,000 |
| 10 July 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Eon Productions | £882,778 |
| 17 July 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Eon Productions | £879,321 |
| 24 July 1981 | For Your Eyes Only | Eon Productions | £488,512 |
| 31 July 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Lucasfilm Ltd. | £983,710 |
| 7 August 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Lucasfilm Ltd. | £669,758 |
| 14 August 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Lucasfilm Ltd. | £212,782 |
| 21 August 1981 | Arthur | Orion Pictures | £142,308 |
| 28 August 1981 | The Watcher In the Woods | Walt Disney Productions | £83,333 |
| 4 September 1981 | Stripes | Columbia Pictures | £614,138 |
| 11 September 1981 | Stripes | Columbia Pictures | £307,069 |
| 18 September 1981 | Omen III: The Final Conflict | Mace Neufeld Productions | £614,141 |
| 25 September 1981 | Omen III: The Final Conflict | Mace Neufeld Productions | £219,336 |
| 2 October 1981 | Omen III: The Final Conflict | Mace Neufeld Productions | £146,224 |
| 9 October 1981 | Heavens Gate | Partisan Productions | £139,373 |
| 16 October 1981 | Endless Love | PolyGram Pictures | £626,815 |
| 23 October 1981 | Endless Love | PolyGram Pictures | £447,725 |
| 30 October 1981 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | Juniper Films | £435,453 |
| 6 November 1981 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | Juniper Films | £334,964 |
| 13 November 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £867,487 |
| 20 November 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £433,744 |
| 27 November 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £309,817 |
| 4 December 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £119,160 |
| 11 December 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £85,114 |
| 18 December 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £60,796 |
| 25 December 1981 | An American Werewolf In London | PolyGram Pictures & Lycanthrope Films Limited | £23,383 |