Forty has never looked so good.
It’s been a full four decades since the summer of 1984, a period dominated by the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” and a booming box office that reverberates today as loudly as the neon colors of the time.
In a time when nostalgia is as trendy as the latest viral TikTok video, the biggest movies from that summer are all relevant, seemingly destined to last longer than any clip that permeates your social media feed of choice.
That summer’s top five grossing movies — “Ghostbusters,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Gremlins,” “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” and “The Karate Kid” — all still exist today with new TV and film projects that have come out within the last year, with many more on the way.
“Those were the days, the good old days. Movies were movies,” Ralph Macchio recently joked to TODAY.com in an interview alongside “Karate Kid” and “Cobra Kai” co-star William Zabka promoting the final season of the Netflix series.
“It was a special year, that’s for sure,” Zabka said.
It was a special year — not just for what fans could catch at their local theater, but for what those movies birthed. It was hardly a matter of the flicks coming out and then surfacing a few months later in video stores, before they’d premiere down the line on cable. Yes, the movies had staying power, but, perhaps more importantly, they also have continuing power.
“The Karate Kid” was the surprise hit of the bunch, setting the stage for multiple sequels. After a hiatus of several years, it returned as a cultural force in the series “Cobra Kai.” Another “Karate Kid” film is also in the works.
“Ghostbusters” was the summer’s gold medal winner in theaters, earning more than $188 million and giving way to a 1989 sequel, several animated series and video games. The film franchise was rebooted in 2016 with a female Ghostbusters team, while two Paul Rudd-led movies, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” were released in 2021 and earlier this year, respectively.
“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” followed 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the franchise has continued with a TV series and several more films, including last year’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Talk of a sixth movie in the franchise is scattered online and the ending of "Dial of Destiny" hinted at the possibility of more adventures ahead.
“Gremlins” was a horror-comedy that spawned a sequel and endless chatter over the years of a third film, while an animated series, “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,” premiered on Max last year. A second season, called “Gremlins: The Wild Batch,” is due out this fall on Max. (Warner Bros. did not reply to TODAY.com's request for information about the status of a third movie.)
“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” is part of what is probably the most robust franchise of all the films from that summer. There have been several sequels and TV shows from that universe, with the final season of “Star Trek: Discovery” premiering earlier this year on Paramount+ and a new season of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” expected to premiere in 2025.
Drawing a straight line from 1984 to the present day isn’t as simple as turning on MTV back in the day hoping to see the latest Van Halen video. Explaining exactly why this quintet of flicks has remained not just beloved, but popular with new offerings, comes down to a multitude of factors. For one, there’s a certain craving for nostalgia from the moviegoers who trekked to theaters that summer. There’s also the fact that these movies are actually good.
“I think we’re seeing the ‘80s as a prime nostalgia time right now,” Dave Karger, the Turner Classic Movies host and author of the book “50 Oscar Nights,” tells TODAY.com.
“And, let’s face it, back in the 1980s, Hollywood was coming up with some really great ideas. And if you look at ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ and some of these movies or franchises that were big 40 years ago this summer, they were brilliant, original ideas.”
“Hollywood entertainment was just at the peak of its abilities at that time,” he adds. “And I think that’s what you’re seeing. I think it’s a confluence of the fact that people feel nostalgic about the ‘80s. And it was a really great summer in 1984.”
“The Karate Kid” is emblematic of the trend. The movie was a critical and commercial success, even picking up an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for Pat Morita, a rare feat for a summer movie. Sequels followed, but then the franchise disappeared for years.
It came back with a vengeance with “Cobra Kai,” deftly marrying the original film’s Daniel LaRusso-Johnny Lawrence rivalry with the introduction of young characters that appealed to a new generation. That yearning for yesteryear is complemented by quality, a recipe that’s consistent with all of these five movies still being around in some form today.
“Very often now, we’re talking decades later, and they’re bringing back a continuation of those stories with original characters. It feeds nostalgia, but, yet, when well executed, it also becomes relevant and very current. And that’s what ‘Cobra Kai’ writers were able to do and why I think we have longevity,” Macchio said.
These five movies also featured the involvement of some heavy hitters. John Avildsen, who won an Oscar for directing “Rocky,” helmed “The Karate Kid.” Ivan Reitman directed “Ghostbusters,” and Steven Spielberg produced “Gremlins,” which was written by an up-and-comer named Chris Columbus, years before he’d hit pay dirt as the director of “Home Alone.” Spielberg also directed “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” which was produced and co-written by George Lucas. The movies, made by titans of Tinseltown, set a blueprint for what was to come.
“Entertainment was really in a wonderful place, I would say, and not only because I am a child of the ‘80s, but I think objectively it was really good,” Karger says.
“It was Steven Spielberg at the height of his powers. It was George Lucas doing interesting things. It was Ivan Reitman. It was franchises like ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘Star Trek.’ It was fabulous entertainment that didn’t feel played out, like a lot of franchises do today.”
Another reason why this collection of movies still exists is the timing of where they were in their own chronology. “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” were sequels, but they were only the second and third installments, respectively. “Ghostbusters,” “Gremlins” and “The Karate Kid” were original films, covering sci-fi, comedy and drama. There was a wide swath of new subject matter in these creative movies that entertained and moved fans, as they set sail on their journeys to cultural relevance.
“It was kind of the beginning of those franchise movies, in a way,” Macchio said. “It sort of was the beginning of that.”
“We’re all fans of all those movies. They made an impression. It’s crazy to feel like, ‘I’m in something that did that, too.’ And people feel that way about our movie and us because I have that reverence for all those movies, and they’re so iconic to me,” Zabka said.
Reboots and sequels are old hat in Hollywood, as tried and true as coming attractions and buttery popcorn. Moviegoers and TV audiences have grown accustomed to seeing beloved characters resurface. But 1984 represented a perfect storm of new ideas, big stars and captivating movies that has endured long past the days we hung up our Members Only jackets. Five movies from one summer returning and existing 40 years later seems unlikely today.
“I’ll be surprised if this happens again,” Karger says. “I don’t think that every single summer, for the next five years, you’re going to be able to look at the top five grossing movies from 40 years ago and see that they’re all active franchises. I think this is a one-off in a way, but it’s also one that is understandable.”
