Major Events

• March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
• May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.
• June 22 - The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson's Muppets' first foray into the world of feature length motion pictures, is released.
• September 19 - Don Bluth and a group of fellow animators resign from The Walt Disney Company's animation department to set up a rival studio, Don Bluth Productions.
• November 1 - Production begins on Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• December 7 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuts in the United States to mixed reviews but strong box office, launching a film franchise that lead to 11 films over the next 30 years. It also lead to the creation of four spin-off television series based upon Gene Roddenberry's creation.

Top grossing films (U.S.)