1986 in film

The following is an overview of events in 1986 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1986 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

 * February 3 - Pixar Animation Studios is founded by Edwin Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith.
 * April - Guy McElwaine resigns as head of Columbia Pictures.
 * April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.
 * June - First Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä, Finnish Lapland.
 * July 2 - The Great Mouse Detective is released to theaters to positive reviews and is a critical and financial success, just behind An American Tail, saving the Disney Studio from bankruptcy after the failure of The Black Cauldron. It is now regarded as one of the darkest and underrated classics of all time, and has gained a cult following.
 * August 6 - Timothy Dalton is officially announced as the fourth actor to portray James Bond.
 * September - David Puttnam becomes head of Columbia Pictures.
 * September 13 - Film review television program Siskel & Ebert premieres in syndication. Although the two critics have been working as a pair since 1975, this will be their longest running program and will run in various incarnations until 2010.
 * November 21 - The first animated film produced by Steven Spielberg, An American Tail, is released, and breaks the record once held by Disney's The Rescuers for the largest financial amount made for an animated film on opening weekend.
 * November 29
 * Actor Cary Grant dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Davenport, Iowa.
 * Stuntman Dar Robinson is killed on the set of the film Million Dollar Mystery.

Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
 * The Mission, directed by Roland Joffé, United Kingdom

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
 * The Green Ray (Le Rayon vert), directed by Éric Rohmer, France

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
 * Stammheim, directed by Reinhard Hauff, West Germany

By country/region

 * List of American films of 1986
 * List of Argentine films of 1986
 * List of Australian films of 1986
 * List of Bangladeshi films of 1986
 * List of British films of 1986
 * List of Canadian films of 1986
 * List of French films of 1986
 * List of Hong Kong films of 1986
 * List of Indian films of 1986
 * List of Hindi films of 1986
 * List of Kannada films of 1986
 * List of Malayalam films of 1986
 * List of Marathi films of 1986
 * List of Tamil films of 1986
 * List of Telugu films of 1986
 * List of Japanese films of 1986
 * List of Mexican films of 1986
 * List of Pakistani films of 1986
 * List of South Korean films of 1986
 * List of Soviet films of 1986
 * List of Spanish films of 1986

By genre/medium

 * List of action films of 1986
 * List of animated feature films of 1986
 * List of avant-garde films of 1986
 * List of comedy films of 1986
 * List of drama films of 1986
 * List of horror films of 1986
 * List of science fiction films of 1986
 * List of thriller films of 1986
 * List of western films of 1986

Births
American Soap Opera Actress
 * January 1 - Jessica Gunning, English actress
 * January 1 - Colin Morgan, Northern Irish actor
 * January 4 - Charlyne Yi, American actor, comedian, musician and writer
 * January 5 - Deepika Padukone, Indian actress
 * January 8 - Yash, Indian actor
 * January 16 - Mason Gamble, American former actor
 * January 21
 * Sushant Singh Rajput, Indian actor (d. 2020)
 * Ken Yamamura, Japanese actor
 * January 24
 * Mischa Barton, English-American actress
 * Raviv Ullman, Israeli actor
 * January 30 - Ashley Buccille, American actress
 * February 1 - Lauren Conrad, American TV personality and author
 * February 2 - Gemma Arterton, English actress
 * February 4 - Danielle Vega, American actress
 * February 6 - Dane DeHaan, American actor
 * February 9 - Jade Xu, actress
 * February 10 - Christopher Abbott, American actor
 * February 12 - Valorie Curry, American actress
 * February 14 - Tiffany Thornton, American actress, comedian, and singer-songwriter
 * February 18
 * Sakura Ando, Japanese actress
 * Dumbfoundead, American rapper and actor
 * February 19
 * Ophelia Lovibond, English actress
 * Maria Mena, Norwegian singer
 * February 22
 * Josh Helman, Australian actor
 * Miko Hughes, American actor
 * February 24
 * Bryce Papenbrook, American voice actor
 * Benny Safdie, American director, screenwriter, actor and editor
 * February 25
 * Jameela Jamil, English actress
 * James and Oliver Phelps, English twin actors
 * February 26 - Teresa Palmer. Australian actress, writer, model and film producer
 * March 1 - Alec Utgoff, Soviet-born English actor
 * March 9 - Brittany Snow, American actress
 * March 14 - Jamie Bell, English actor and dancer.
 * March 15 - Jai Courtney, Australian actor
 * March 16 - Alexandra Daddario, American actress
 * March 17 - Olesya Rulin, Russian-American actress
 * March 20 - Ruby Rose, Australian actress
 * March 21 - Scott Eastwood, American actor and model
 * March 22 - Matt Bush, American actor
 * March 23 - Steven Strait, American actor and singer
 * March 24 - Jason Wong, British actor
 * March 28 - Lady Gaga, American singer and actress
 * March 30 - Simon Baker, Aboriginal-Canadian actor
 * April 1 - Jenn Murray, Northern Irish actress
 * April 3 - Amanda Bynes, American actress and variety show host
 * April 4 - Gavin Stenhouse, English actor
 * April 7 - Jason Ralph, American actor
 * April 9 - Leighton Meester, American actress and singer
 * April 12 - Titanilla Bogdányi, Hungarian voice actress
 * April 17 - Zheng Kai, Chinese actor and television personality
 * April 19 - Henrik Kalmet, Estonian actor
 * April 22 - Amber Heard, American actress
 * April 23 - Alisha Morrison, Canadian actress
 * April 24 - Tahyna MacManus, Australian actress, director, writer and producer
 * April 25
 * John DeLuca, American actor and singer
 * Daniel Sharman, English actor
 * April 27 - Jenna Coleman, English actress
 * April 30
 * Dianna Agron, American actress, singer and director
 * Beau Wirick, American actor
 * May 3
 * Poppy Delevingne, English actress
 * Pom Klementieff, French actress and model
 * May 6 - Sasheer Zamata, American actress and comedienne
 * May 7 - Robbie Jarvis, British actor
 * May 11 - Tia Ballard, American voice actress
 * May 12 - Emily VanCamp, Canadian actress
 * May 13
 * Lena Dunham, American writer, director, actress, and producer
 * Robert Pattinson, English actor
 * May 16 - Megan Fox, American actress and model
 * May 17 - Tahj Mowry, American actor
 * May 19 - Eric Lloyd, American actor, comedian, musician and producer
 * May 20 - Robert Emms, British actor
 * May 21
 * David Ajala, British actor
 * Da'Vine Joy Randolph, American actress and singer
 * May 23 - Ryan Coogler, American filmmaker
 * May 26 - Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Spanish-French actress
 * May 28 - Joseph Cross, American actor and producer
 * May 30 - Will Peltz, American actor
 * June 1 - Alessio Puccio, Italian voice actor
 * June 3
 * Brenden Jefferson, American child actor and songwriter
 * Josh Segarra, American actor
 * June 4 - Oona Chaplin, Spanish-British actress
 * June 5 - Amanda Crew, Canadian actress
 * June 11 - Shia LaBeouf, American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker
 * June 12 - Luke Youngblood, English actor
 * June 13
 * Kat Dennings, American actress
 * Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, American twin actresses and entrepreneurs
 * June 14 - Haley Hudson, American actress
 * June 17 - Marie Avgeropoulos, Canadian actress and model
 * June 18 - Richard Madden, Scottish actor
 * June 19
 * Nazareno Casero, Argentinian actor
 * Erin Mackey, American actress and singer
 * June 20 - Dreama Walker, American retired actress
 * June 26 - Brittney Karbowski, American voice actress
 * June 27
 * Drake Bell, American actor, comedian, musician, singer-songwriter and record producer
 * Sam Claflin, British actor
 * July 1 - Sonoya Mizuno, British actress
 * July 2 - Lindsay Lohan, American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur
 * July 8 - Jake McDorman, American actor
 * July 10 - Wyatt Russell, American actor
 * July 15 - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, American actor
 * July 17 - Brando Eaton, American actor
 * July 21 - Diane Guerrero, American actress
 * July 24 - Megan Park, Canadian actress and director
 * July 26 - Saphira Indah, Indonesian actress (d. 2019)
 * July 27 - Felecia Angelle, American voice actress
 * August 1 - Elijah Kelley, American actor and singer
 * August 2 - Lily Gladstone, American actress
 * August 6 - Nanna Blondell, Swedish actress
 * August 13 - Ashley Spillers, American actress
 * August 14 - Casey LaBow, American actress and producer
 * August 16 - Shawn Pyfrom, American actor and singer
 * August 17 - Katia Elizarova, Russian model and actress
 * August 22 - Keiko Kitagawa, Japanese actress
 * August 27 - Jack Kesy, American actor
 * August 28 - Armie Hammer, American actor
 * August 29
 * Nicole Byer, American comedian, actress and television host
 * Lea Michele, American actress and singer
 * August 31
 * Ryan Kelley, American actor
 * Johnny Wactor, American actor (d. 2024)
 * September 6 - Kalani Queypo, American actor
 * September 8 - Jake Sandvig, American actor
 * September 12
 * Alfie Allen, English actor
 * Emmy Rossum, American actress and singer
 * September 14 - A. J. Trauth, American actor and musician
 * September 16
 * Kyla Pratt, American actress
 * Michael James Shaw, American actor and writer
 * September 17 - Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Japanese voice actor
 * September 18 - Keeley Hazell, English model and actress
 * September 19
 * Carrie Finlay, Canadian actress
 * Peter Vack, American actor, writer, director and producer
 * September 20 - Aldis Hodge, American actor
 * September 23
 * Kaylee DeFer, American former actress
 * Jana Pérez, Spanish actress and model
 * September 30 - Ki Hong Lee, Korean-American actor
 * October 1
 * Sayaka Kanda, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer (d. 2021)
 * Jurnee Smollett, American actress
 * October 2 - Camilla Belle, American actress, director, and producer
 * October 3 - Joonas Suotamo, Finnish actor
 * October 5 - Kevin Bigley, American actor
 * October 6
 * Luisa D'Oliveira, Canadian actress
 * Olivia Thirlby, American actress
 * October 12 - Rafal Zawierucha, Polish actor
 * October 13 - Tom Attenborough, English voice actor
 * October 15
 * Ali Fazal, Indian actor
 * Paul Walter Hauser, American actor
 * October 22 - Kyle Gallner, American actor
 * October 23
 * Emilia Clarke, British actress
 * Jessica Stroup, American actress
 * October 24
 * Drake, Canadian rapper, singer, and actor
 * Nobuhiko Okamoto, Japanese voice actor and singer
 * October 28 - Aditi Rao Hydari, Indian actress
 * November 1 - Penn Badgley, American actor
 * November 4 - Alexz Johnson, Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, actress and philanthropist
 * November 10 - Josh Peck, American actor
 * November 14 - Cory Michael Smith, American actor
 * November 15
 * Winston Duke, Tobagonian actor
 * Jason Trost, American filmmaker and actor
 * November 18
 * Pablo Lyle, Mexican actor
 * Ragne Veensalu, Estonian actress
 * November 20 - Kingsley Ben-Adir, British actor
 * November 21 - Colleen Ballinger, American comedian, YouTuber, actress, singer and writer
 * November 25 - Katie Cassidy, American actress and singer
 * November 26 - Trevor Morgan, American actor
 * November 28 - Johnny Simmons, American actor
 * December 17 - Emma Bell, American actress
 * December 19 - Annie Murphy, Canadian actress
 * December 24 - Annika Noelle,
 * December 26 - Kit Harington, English actor
 * December 29 - Ally Maki, American actress
 * December 30 - Ellie Goulding, English singer and songwriter
 * December 31 - Bronson Pelletier, Canadian actor
 * Cathy Yan, Chinese-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer