1989 in film
Highest-grossing films
Table:
Highest-grossing films of 1989[1]

Rank
Title
Studio
Worldwide gross

1.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Paramount

$474,171,806

2.

Batman

Warner Bros.

$411,348,924

3.

Back to the Future Part II

Universal

$331,950,002

4.

Look Who's Talking

TriStar

$296,999,813

5.

Dead Poets Society

Disney

$235,860,116

6.

Lethal Weapon 2

Warner Bros.

$227,853,986

7.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Disney

$222,724,172

8.

Ghostbusters II

Columbia

$215,394,738

9.

The Little Mermaid

Disney

$184,155,863

10.

Born on the Fourth of July

Universal

$161,001,698

Looking at the tabular data along with the supplementary paragraphs listed at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: How many years pass between the happenings of the preceding movie and the movie that made $ 215,394,738 in 1989 ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg , from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas . It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones franchise . Harrison Ford reprises the title role , while his father is portrayed by Sean Connery . Other cast members featured include Alison Doody , Denholm Elliott , Julian Glover , River Phoenix , and John Rhys-Davies . In the film , set largely in 1938 , Indiana searches for his father , a Holy Grail scholar , who has been kidnapped by Nazis . After the mixed reaction to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , Spielberg chose to tone down the gore in the next installment . During the five years between Temple of Doom and Last Crusade , he and executive producer Lucas reviewed several scripts before accepting Jeffrey Boam 's . Filming locations included Spain , Italy , West Germany , Jordan , the United Kingdom , and the United States . The film was released in North America on May 24 , 1989 to mostly positive reviews and a financial success , earning $ 474.2 million at the worldwide box office totals . It won an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing . It is the first film in the franchise to receive a PG-13 rating , as the previous installments were rated PG , because the PG-13 rating was n't established at the time those films were released .
Paramount Pictures Corporation ( also known simply as Paramount ) is an American film studio that is a subsidiary of ViacomCBS . It is the fifth oldest surviving film studio in the world , the second oldest in the United States , and the sole member of the Big Five film studios still located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollywood . In 1916 , film producer Adolph Zukor put 22 actors and actresses under contract and honored each with a star on the logo . In 2014 , Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital form only . The company 's headquarters and studios are located at 5555 Melrose Avenue , Hollywood , California , United States . Paramount Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association ( MPA ) .
Batman is a 1989 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber , based on the DC Comics character of the same name . It is the first installment of Warner Bros. ' initial Batman film series . The film stars Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman , alongside Kim Basinger , Robert Wuhl , Pat Hingle , Billy Dee Williams , Michael Gough , and Jack Palance . The film takes place early in the title character 's war on crime , and depicts a battle with the Joker . After Burton was hired as director in 1986 , Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay . Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton 's Beetlejuice ( 1988 ) . Numerous A-list actors were considered for the role of Batman before Keaton was cast . Keaton 's casting caused a controversy since , by 1988 , he had become typecast as a comedic actor and many observers doubted he could portray a serious role . Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated top billing , a portion of the film 's earnings ( including associated merchandise ) , and his own shooting schedule . The tone and themes of the film were influenced in part by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland 's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller 's The Dark Knight Returns . The film primarily adapts the Red Hood origin story for the Joker , in which Batman inadvertently creates the Joker by causing him to fall into Axis Chemical acid , resulting in his transformation into a psychopath , but it adds a unique twist in presenting him specifically as a gangster named Jack Napier . Filming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989 .
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. ( also simply known as Warner Bros. and initialized as WB ) is an American entertainment company headquartered in Burbank , California , and a division of AT & T 's WarnerMedia . Founded in 1923 , it has operations in areas such as film , television , and video games and is one of the Big Five major American film studios , as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association ( MPA ) . The company 's portfolio encompasses the film studios Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema , Castle Rock Entertainment and DC Films ; the television production and syndication company Warner Bros. Television ; the animation studios Warner Bros . Animation and Warner Animation Group ; the publisher DC Comics ; the video game development and publishing arm Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment ; the pay television channels Cartoon Network , Boomerang and Turner Classic Movies ; and a 50% interest in The CW television network , which is co-owned with ViacomCBS . Aside from content operations , Warner Bros. also has several theme parks that are managed and operated by third party companies .
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science-fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Bob Gale . It is the sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future and the second installment in the Back to the Future trilogy . The film stars Michael J . Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Thomas F. Wilson , and Lea Thompson . The film follows Marty McFly ( Fox ) and his friend Dr. Emmett Doc Brown ( Lloyd ) as they travel from 1985 to 2015 to prevent Marty 's son from sabotaging the McFly family 's future ; when their arch-nemesis Biff Tannen ( Wilson ) steals Doc 's DeLorean time machine and uses it to alter history for his benefit , the duo must return to 1955 to restore the timeline . The film was produced on a $ 40-million budget and was filmed back to back with its sequel , Part III . Filming began in February 1989 after two years were spent building the sets and writing the scripts . Two actors from the first film , Crispin Glover and Claudia Wells , did not return . While Elisabeth Shue was recast in the role of Wells 's character , Jennifer , Glover 's character , George McFly , was not only minimized in the plot , but also was obscured and recreated with another actor . Glover successfully sued Zemeckis and Gale , changing how producers can deal with the departure and replacement of actors in a role . Back to the Future Part II was also a ground-breaking project for effects studio Industrial Light & Magic ( ILM ) : In addition to digital compositing , ILM used the VistaGlide motion control camera system , which allowed an actor to portray multiple characters simultaneously on-screen without sacrificing camera movement . Back to the Future Part II was released by Universal Pictures on November 22 , 1989 .
Universal Pictures ( also known as Universal Studios , and formerly Universal Film Manufacturing Company ) is an American film studio owned by Comcast through the NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal . Founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle , Mark Dintenfass , Charles O. Baumann , Adam Kessel , Pat Powers , William Swanson , David Horsley , Robert H. Cochrane , and Jules Brulatour , it is the oldest surviving film studio in the United States ; the world 's fifth oldest after Gaumont , Pathé , Titanus , and Nordisk Film ; and the oldest member of Hollywood 's Big Five studios in terms of the overall film market . Its studios are located in Universal City , California , and its corporate offices are located in New York City . Universal Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association ( MPA ) , and was one of the Little Three majors during Hollywood 's golden age .
Look Who 's Talking is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling , and starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley . Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie 's son , Mikey . The film features George Segal as Albert , the married father of Mikey .
TriStar Pictures , Inc. ( spelled as Tri-Star until 1991 and stylized as TRISTAR ) is an American film studio that is a division of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group . Tristar is a sister studio of the other Sony studio Columbia Pictures and part of Sony Pictures , which is owned by Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Corporation .
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir , written by Tom Schulman , and starring Robin Williams . Set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative Vermont boarding school Welton Academy , it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry . The film received critical acclaim and was a box office success . It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film , the César Award for Best Foreign Film and the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film . Schulman received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work .
The Walt Disney Company , commonly known as Disney ( /ˈdɪzni/ ) , is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank , California . Disney was originally founded on October 16 , 1923 , by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio ; it also operated under the names The Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before officially changing its name to The Walt Disney Company in 1986 . The company established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production , television , and theme parks . Since the 1980s , Disney has created and acquired corporate divisions in order to market more mature content than is typically associated with its flagship family-oriented brands . The company is known for its film studio division , The Walt Disney Studios , which includes Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios , Pixar , Marvel Studios , Lucasfilm , 20th Century Studios , Searchlight Pictures , and Blue Sky Studios . Disney 's other main units and reporting segments are Disney Media Networks , Disney Parks , Experiences and Products , and Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International . Through these segments , Disney owns and operates the ABC broadcast network ; cable television networks such as Disney Channel , ESPN , Freeform , FX , and National Geographic ; publishing , merchandising , music , and theater divisions ; and Disney Parks , Experiences and Products , a group of 14 theme parks around the world . The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991 . Cartoon character Mickey Mouse , created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks , is one of the world 's most recognizable characters and serves as the company 's official mascot .
Touchstone Pictures is a dormant American film distribution label of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , created and owned by The Walt Disney Company . Feature films released under the Touchstone label were financed or produced by The Walt Disney Studios with more mature themes targeted towards adult audiences , than those feature films released under the studio 's flagship family entertainment Walt Disney Pictures banner . As such , Touchstone was merely a pseudonym brand for the studio , and did not exist as a distinct business operation . Established on February 15 , 1984 by then-Disney CEO Ron W. Miller as Touchstone Films , Touchstone operated as an active film production division of Walt Disney Studios during the 1980s through the early 2010s , releasing a majority of the studio 's PG-13 and R-rated films . In 2009 , Disney entered into a five-year , thirty picture distribution deal with DreamWorks Pictures by which DreamWorks ' productions would be released through the Touchstone banner . Touchstone then distributed DreamWorks ' films from 2011 to 2016 .
Lethal Weapon 2 is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner , and starring Mel Gibson , Danny Glover , Joe Pesci , Patsy Kensit , Derrick O'Connor and Joss Ackland . It is a sequel to the 1987 film Lethal Weapon and the second installment in the Lethal Weapon film series . Gibson and Glover respectively reprise their roles as LAPD officers Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh , who protect an irritating federal witness ( Pesci ) , while taking on a gang of South African drug dealers hiding behind diplomatic immunity . The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing ( Robert G. Henderson ) . The film received mostly positive reviews and earned more than $ 227 million worldwide .
Honey , I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 American comic science fiction film . The first installment of the titular film series was the directorial debut of Joe Johnston and produced by Walt Disney Pictures . The plot involves the story of an inventor who accidentally shrinks his own and his next door neighbor 's children to a quarter of an inch ( 6 mm ) with his electromagnetic shrinking machine and accidentally throws them out with the trash , where they must venture into their backyard to return home while fending off insects and negotiating hazards . Rick Moranis stars as Wayne Szalinski , the inventor who accidentally shrinks his children , Amy ( Amy O'Neill ) and Nick ( Robert Oliveri ) . Marcia Strassman portrays his wife , Diane , to whom he delivers the titular line . Matt Frewer , Kristine Sutherland , Thomas Wilson Brown , and Jared Rushton star as Russ , Mae , Russ Jr. , and Ron Thompson , respectively ; the Szalinskis ' next door neighbors . The film became a sleeper hit upon release . An unexpected box office success , it grossed $ 222 million ( equivalent to $ 457.89 million in 2019 ) worldwide , and became the highest-grossing live-action Disney film ever , a record it held for five years . It was met with positive reviews from both critics and audiences , who praised the story , visuals and innovation . Its success spawned a franchise , including : two sequels , a television series , and theme-park attractions .
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis . It stars Bill Murray , Aykroyd , Sigourney Weaver , Ramis , Rick Moranis , Ernie Hudson , and Annie Potts . It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and the second film in the Ghostbusters franchise . Set five years after the events of the first film , the Ghostbusters have been sued and put out of business after the destruction caused during their battle with the demi-god Gozer . When a new paranormal threat emerges , the Ghostbusters reform to combat it and save the world . After the phenomenal success of Ghostbusters , Columbia Pictures wanted a sequel but struggled to overcome objections from the cast and crew . As with the first film , Aykroyd and Ramis collaborated on the script , which went through many variations . The pair wanted to convey a message about the consequences of negative human emotions in large cities . They settled on the idea of negative feelings creating a mass of supernatural slime beneath New York City , which empowers malevolent spirits . On an approximate $ 30-40 million budget , filming took place between November 1988 and March 1989 on locations in New York City and Los Angeles . Production was rushed compared to the original film 's 13-month cycle ; large sections of the film were scrapped after poorly-received test screenings . New scenes were written and filmed during re-shoots between March and April 1989 , only two months before its release .
Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc. ( commonly known as Columbia Pictures or simply Columbia ) is an American film studio and production & distribution company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group , a division of Sony Entertainment 's Sony Pictures subsidiary of the Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Corporation . What would eventually become Columbia Pictures , CBC Film Sales Corporation was founded on June 19 , 1918 by Harry Cohn , his brother Jack Cohn , and Joe Brandt . It adopted the Columbia Pictures name in 1924 , went public two years later , and eventually began to use the image of Columbia , the female personification of the United States , as its logo . In its early years , Columbia was a minor player in Hollywood , but began to grow in the late 1920s , spurred by a successful association with director Frank Capra . With Capra and others , Columbia became one of the primary homes of the screwball comedy . In the 1930s , Columbia 's major contract stars were Jean Arthur and Cary Grant . In the 1940s , Rita Hayworth became the studio 's premier star and propelled their fortunes into the late 1950s . Rosalind Russell , Glenn Ford , and William Holden also became major stars at the studio . It is one of the leading film studios in the world and is a member of the Big Five major American film studios . Columbia was one of the so-called Little Three among the eight major film studios of Hollywood 's Golden Age . Today , it has become the world 's fourth largest major film studio . The company was primarily responsible for distributing Disney 's Silly Symphony film series as well as the Mickey Mouse cartoon series from 1929 to 1932 .
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures . The 28th Disney animated feature film and first film in The Little Mermaid franchise , the film is loosely based on the Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen . The film tells the story of a mermaid princess named Ariel who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric . Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker , with music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman ( who also served as co-producer alongside John Musker ) , and art direction by Michael Peraza Jr. and Donald A . Towns , the film features the voices of Jodi Benson , Christopher Daniel Barnes , Pat Carroll , Samuel E. Wright , Jason Marin , Kenneth Mars , Buddy Hackett , and René Auberjonois . The Little Mermaid was released to theaters on November 17 , 1989 to critical acclaim , earning praise for the animation , music , and characters . It was also a commercial success , garnering $ 84 million at the domestic box office during its initial release , and $ 233 million in total lifetime gross worldwide . After the success of the 1986 Disney animated film The Great Mouse Detective and the 1988 Disney/Amblin live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , The Little Mermaid is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films after a string of critical or commercial failures produced by Disney that dated back to the early 1970s . It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance . The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ( Under the Sea ) . The film 's success lead to a stage adaptation with a book by Doug Wright and additional songs by Alan Menken and new lyricist Glenn Slater opened in Denver in July 2007 and began performances on Broadway January 10 , 2008 starring Sierra Boggess . Other derived works and material inspired by the movie , include a live-action film adaptation , directed by Rob Marshall , currently in development , and a 2019 live musical presentation of the film airing on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney .
Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American biographical war drama film based on the eponymous 1976 autobiography by Ron Kovic . Directed by Oliver Stone , and written by Stone and Kovic , it stars Tom Cruise , Kyra Sedgwick , Raymond J. Barry , Jerry Levine , Frank Whaley and Willem Dafoe . The film depicts the life of Kovic ( Cruise ) over a 20-year period , detailing his childhood , his military service and paralysis during the Vietnam War , and his transition to anti-war activism . It is the second installment in Stone 's trilogy of films about the Vietnam War , following Platoon ( 1986 ) and preceding Heaven & Earth ( 1993 ) . Producer Martin Bregman acquired the film rights to the book in 1976 and hired Stone , also a Vietnam veteran , to co-write the screenplay with Kovic , who would be played by Al Pacino . When Stone optioned the book in 1978 , the film adaptation became mired in development hell after Pacino and Bregman left , which resulted in him and Kovic putting the film on hold . After the release of Platoon , the project was revived at Universal Pictures , with Stone attached to direct . Shot on locations in the Philippines , Texas and Inglewood , California , principal photography took place from October 1988 to December , lasting 65 days of filming . The film went over its initial $ 14 million production budget , and ended up costing $ 17.8 million after reshoots . Upon release , Born on the Fourth of July was praised by critics for its story , Cruise 's performance and Stone 's direction . The film was successful at the box office as it grossed over $ 161 million worldwide , becoming the tenth highest-grossing film of 1989 . At the 62nd Academy Awards , it received eight nominations , including Best Picture and Best Actor for Cruise , his first nomination , and the film won for Best Director , Stone 's second in that category , and Best Film Editing .