, ▁where ▁reven ues ▁are ▁equal ▁numbers , ▁the ▁newer ▁films ▁are ▁listed ▁lower , ▁due ▁to ▁infl ation ▁making ▁the ▁doll ar - amount ▁lower ▁compared ▁to ▁earlier ▁years . ▁ ▁Tr ends ▁The ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁covered ▁many ▁gen res , ▁with ▁hy br ids ▁crossing ▁between ▁multiple ▁gen res . ▁The ▁tr end ▁strength ened ▁towards ▁creating ▁ever - lar ger ▁block b uster ▁films , ▁which ▁earned ▁more ▁in ▁their ▁opening ▁weeks ▁than ▁any ▁previous ▁film , ▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁st aging ▁releases ▁when ▁aud ien ces ▁had ▁little ▁else ▁to ▁choose . ▁Block b ust ers : ▁The ▁de cade ▁started ▁by ▁continu ing ▁the ▁block b uster ▁bo om ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s . ▁The ▁sequ el ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 7 ' s ▁Star ▁Wars , ▁The ▁Empire ▁St rik es ▁Back , ▁opened ▁in ▁May , ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁becoming ▁the ▁highest - g ross ing ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁among ▁the ▁greatest ▁films ▁of ▁all ▁time ▁( be ing ▁the ▁highest ▁r ated ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁film ▁on ▁IMDb ). ▁It ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁Return ▁of ▁the ▁J edi ▁( 1 9 8 3 ) ▁finishing ▁the ▁tri o . ▁Super man ▁II ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁Australia ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁but ▁not ▁distributed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁until ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁Though