#1 of 9 #1 action movie of December 2012
2012 · Action, Adventure
$426.1M worldwide · 37% of the chart's total
$162.8M US & Canada · 38% $263.3M elsewhere · 62%
Action box office · December 2012
Action Box Office, December 2012: Top-Grossing Releases
Django Unchained (2012) is the highest-grossing action movie released in December 2012, with $426.1M worldwide, ahead of Jack Reacher (2012) at $218.3M and The Impossible (2012) at $198.1M. 9 action films released in December 2012 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, 31% of it from the US & Canada. 5 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 8% on November 2012, whose releases took $1.3B. By language, English leads with $977.9M across 5 action releases.
- December 2012 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $1.2B
- films crossed $100M
- 5
- vs November 2012
- −8%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of December 2012?
Django Unchained (2012) leads with $426.1M, 37% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.1B, 99% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of December 2012, 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 2012.
- 1 Dec 25, 2012 US and Canada: $162.8M Rest of the world: $263.3M Worldwide: $426.1M
- 2 Dec 21, 2012 US and Canada: $80.1M Rest of the world: $138.3M Worldwide: $218.3M
- 3 Dec 21, 2012 US and Canada: $19M Rest of the world: $179.1M Worldwide: $198.1M
- 4 Dec 12, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $171.3M
- 5 Dec 19, 2012 US and Canada: $95.7M Rest of the world: $37.1M Worldwide: $132.8M
- 6
Dec 28, 2012 US and Canada: $21.8K Rest of the world: $6M Worldwide: $6M - 7
Dec 21, 2012 US and Canada: $2.5M Rest of the world: $1.7M Worldwide: $4.2M - 8
Dec 6, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.6M - 9
Dec 7, 2012 US and Canada: $379.5K Rest of the world: $455.6K Worldwide: $835.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2012?
Of the top 9, Zero Dark Thirty (2012) earned the biggest share at home (72% in the US & Canada), while Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012) made 100% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $360.5M (31%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Django Unchained (2012) $426.1M $162.8M US & Canada · 38% $263.3M elsewhere · 62%
- 2 Jack Reacher (2012) $218.3M $80.1M US & Canada · 37% $138.3M elsewhere · 63%
- 3 The Impossible (2012) $198.1M $19M US & Canada · 10% $179.1M elsewhere · 90%
- 4 Chinese Zodiac (2012) $171.3M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Zero Dark Thirty (2012) $132.8M $95.7M US & Canada · 72% $37.1M elsewhere · 28%
- 6 Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012) $6M $21.8K US & Canada · <1% $6M elsewhere · 100%
- 7 Dabangg 2 (2012) $4.2M $2.5M US & Canada · 60% $1.7M elsewhere · 40%
- 8 So Undercover (2012) $2.6M No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Khiladi 786 (2012) $835.1K $379.5K US & Canada · 45% $455.6K elsewhere · 55%
By release week
Which Week of December 2012 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 16–22) took $553.5M, led by Jack Reacher (2012). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 25–Dec 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 2–8 So Undercover (2012) $3.4M So Undercover (2012)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 9–15 Chinese Zodiac (2012) $171.3M Chinese Zodiac (2012)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 16–22 Jack Reacher (2012) $553.5M Jack Reacher (2012)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 23–29 Django Unchained (2012) $432.1M Django Unchained (2012)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 30–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 2012 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2009 earned the most: $3.5B from 10 films, led by Avatar (2009). December 2012 took $1.2B.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2003 8 films | 8 | $1.7B | – | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B |
| December 2004 13 films · −84% | 13 | $272.5M | −84% | Blade: Trinity (2004) $132M |
| December 2005 7 films · −68% | 7 | $86M | −68% | Æon Flux (2005) $53.3M |
| December 2006 13 films · +1338% | 13 | $1.2B | +1338% | Night at the Museum (2006) $574.5M |
| December 2007 13 films · −44% | 13 | $696.5M | −44% | National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) $459.2M |
| December 2008 13 films · −74% | 13 | $178.5M | −74% | Defiance (2008) $51.3M |
| December 2009 10 films · +1868% | 10 | $3.5B | +1868% | Avatar (2009) $2.9B |
| December 2010 12 films · −86% | 12 | $500.6M | −86% | TRON: Legacy (2010) $400.1M |
| December 2011 11 films · +160% | 11 | $1.3B | +160% | Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) $694.7M |
| December 2012 9 films · −11% | 9 | $1.2B | −11% | Django Unchained (2012) $426.1M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in December 2012?
English-language action films took $977.9M across 5 films, 84% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language action films ($171.3M) and Japanese-language action films ($6M).
Archive
Action Box Office in 2012, Month by Month
The months of 2012 with their totals: May leads with $2.5B, led by The Avengers (2012).
- January $427.6M #1 Underworld: Awakening (2012)
- February $1.1B #1 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
- March $1.5B #1 The Hunger Games (2012)
- April $207.1M #1 Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker (2012)
- May $2.5B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- June $1.5B #1 Brave (2012)
- July $2B #1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- August $955.8M #1 The Expendables 2 (2012)
- September $571.2M #1 Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
- October $586.2M #1 Taken 2 (2012)
- November $1.3B #1 Skyfall (2012)
- December $1.2B #1 Django Unchained (2012)
FAQ
Action Box Office December 2012: 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 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in December 2012?
Django Unchained (2012) leads with $426.1M worldwide, $162.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Jack Reacher (2012) at $218.3M and The Impossible (2012) at $198.1M.
How much did action movies released in December 2012 earn?
9 action films released in December 2012 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, or $128.9M per film on average. November 2012 releases took $1.3B.
How many action movies released in December 2012 made $1 billion?
None. 5 films crossed $100 million, led by Django Unchained (2012) with $426.1M.
How is the December 2012 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 2012. 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 2012 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.