#1 of 8 #1 action movie of December 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
2003 · Action, Adventure
$1.1B worldwide · 66% of the chart's total
$381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%
Action box office · December 2003
Action Box Office, December 2003: Top-Grossing Releases
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) is the highest-grossing action movie released in December 2003, with $1.1B worldwide, ahead of The Last Samurai (2003) at $454.6M and Paycheck (2003) at $117.2M. 8 action films released in December 2003 report a worldwide gross, $1.7B in all, 32% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 3 crossed $100 million. That is up 150% on November 2003, whose releases took $691.4M. By language, English leads with $1.7B across 4 action releases.
- December 2003 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $1.7B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs November 2003
- +150%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of December 2003?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) leads with $1.1B, 66% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.7B, almost all of what the 8 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1 $1.1B The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)$381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%
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Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of December 2003, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in December 2003.
- 1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)Dec 17, 2003 US and Canada: $381.9M Rest of the world: $756.7M Worldwide: $1.1B
Dec 17, 2003 · English · Action, Adventure, Fantasy $1.1B worldwide - 2 Dec 5, 2003 US and Canada: $111.1M Rest of the world: $343.5M Worldwide: $454.6M
- 3 Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $53.8M Rest of the world: $63.5M Worldwide: $117.2M
- 4 Dec 13, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.7M
- 5 Dec 24, 2003 US and Canada: $298.3K Rest of the world: $4.6M Worldwide: $4.9M
- 6
Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.6M - 7
Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $621.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $621.1K - 8
Dec 30, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $255K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2003?
Of the top 8, LOC: Kargil (2003) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Silmido (2003) made 94% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $547.7M (32%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B $381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%
- 2 The Last Samurai (2003) $454.6M $111.1M US & Canada · 24% $343.5M elsewhere · 76%
- 3 Paycheck (2003) $117.2M $53.8M US & Canada · 46% $63.5M elsewhere · 54%
- 4 Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) $10.7M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Silmido (2003) $4.9M $298.3K US & Canada · 6% $4.6M elsewhere · 94%
- 6 Antikiller 2: Antiterror (2003) $2.6M No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 LOC: Kargil (2003) $621.1K $621.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Belly of the Beast (2003) $255K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of December 2003 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 14–20) took $1.1B, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 30–Dec 6 The Last Samurai (2003) $454.6M The Last Samurai (2003)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 7–13 Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) $14M Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 14–20 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 21–27 Paycheck (2003) $122.1M Paycheck (2003)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 28–31 Belly of the Beast (2003) $255K Belly of the Beast (2003)
Earlier years
How Does December 2003 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2003 earned the most: $1.7B from 8 films, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1994 4 films | 4 | $128.3M | – | Street Fighter (1994) $99.4M |
| December 1995 2 films · −90% | 2 | $12.2M | −90% | Cutthroat Island (1995) $10M |
| December 1996 2 films · +2034% | 2 | $260.6M | +2034% | Daylight (1996) $159.2M |
| December 1997 5 films · +90% | 5 | $495.7M | +90% | Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) $333M |
| December 1998 2 films · −67% | 2 | $163.2M | −67% | Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) $112.6M |
| December 1999 1 film · −44% | 1 | $90.7M | −44% | Galaxy Quest (1999) $90.7M |
| December 2000 10 films · +850% | 10 | $861.3M | +850% | Vertical Limit (2000) $215.7M |
| December 2001 8 films · +25% | 8 | $1.1B | +25% | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $888.5M |
| December 2002 6 films · −92% | 6 | $86.8M | −92% | Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) $67.3M |
| December 2003 8 films · +1892% | 8 | $1.7B | +1892% | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in December 2003?
English-language action films took $1.7B across 4 films, 99% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language action films ($10.7M) and Korean-language action films ($4.9M).
December 2003 Action Box Office by Language
Archive
Action Box Office in 2003, Month by Month
The months of 2003 with their totals: July leads with $2.2B, led by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
- January $249.5M #1 The Recruit (2003)
- February $375.6M #1 Daredevil (2003)
- March $144.4M #1 The Core (2003)
- April $111.6M #1 A Man Apart (2003)
- May $1.4B #1 The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- June $871M #1 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
- July $2.2B #1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- August $396.3M #1 S.W.A.T. (2003)
- September $299.8M #1 Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
- October $208.5M #1 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
- November $691.4M #1 The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- December $1.7B #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
FAQ
Action Box Office December 2003: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in December 2003?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) leads with $1.1B worldwide, $381.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Last Samurai (2003) at $454.6M and Paycheck (2003) at $117.2M.
How much did action movies released in December 2003 earn?
8 action films released in December 2003 report a worldwide gross, $1.7B in all, or $216.2M per film on average. November 2003 releases took $691.4M.
How many action movies released in December 2003 made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). 3 crossed $100 million.
How is the December 2003 action box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in December 2003. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the December 2003 action box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.