The Outsiders was bursting with future star power, including Ralph Macchio, when it was released in 1983. Alongside Macchio, the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film starred a slew of major Hollywood actors including Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Diane Lane. The Outsiders is based on the seminal 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton, and follows two gangs of young people — the poor greasers and the more wealthy Socs — as they fight for dominance in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1960s.

The film was a box office success, earning over $25 million against a $10 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and critical acclaim. In the years since its release, The Outsiders spawned both a 1990 sequel TV series and a Tony Award-winning 2023 Broadway musical. The 1983 movie's impact also extends to its stars, as just one year after its release, Ralph Macchio would go on to play Daniel Larusso in 1984's The Karate Kid.