#1 of 9 #1 adventure movie of December 2008
2008 · Adventure, Fantasy
$87M worldwide · 57% of the chart's total
$50.9M US & Canada · 59% $36.1M elsewhere · 41%
Adventure box office · December 2008
Adventure Box Office, December 2008: Top-Grossing Releases
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) is the highest-grossing adventure movie released in December 2008, with $87M worldwide, ahead of K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008) at $21.4M and 252: Signal of Life (2008) at $18.5M. 9 adventure films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $152.3M in all, 34% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 92% on November 2008, whose releases took $1.8B. By language, English leads with $87.7M across 2 adventure releases.
- December 2008 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $152.3M
- The Tale of Despereaux (2008), the #1
- $87M
- vs November 2008
- −92%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Adventure Hits of December 2008?
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) leads with $87M, 57% of the total. The top 5 together took $150.6M, 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 Adventure Release of December 2008, 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 2008.
- 1 Dec 19, 2008 US and Canada: $50.9M Rest of the world: $36.1M Worldwide: $87M
- 2 K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008)Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21.4M
Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Adventure, Action, Crime $21.4M worldwide - 3 Dec 6, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $18.5M
- 4 The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (2008)Dec 17, 2008 US and Canada: $10.4K Rest of the world: $17.1M Worldwide: $17.1M
Dec 17, 2008 · French · Action, Thriller, Adventure $17.1M worldwide - 5 Dec 17, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.6M
- 6
Dec 12, 2008 US and Canada: $694.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $694.8K - 7
Dec 12, 2008 US and Canada: $39.1K Rest of the world: $514.1K Worldwide: $553.2K - 8
Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008)Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $450.9K Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Family, Action, Adventure $450.9K worldwide - 9
Dec 4, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $67.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2008?
Of the top 9, Delgo (2008) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (2008) made 100% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $51.6M (34%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $87M $50.9M US & Canada · 59% $36.1M elsewhere · 41%
- 2 K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008) $21.4M No US & Canada figure reported
- 3 252: Signal of Life (2008) $18.5M No US & Canada figure reported
- 4 The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (2008) $17.1M $10.4K US & Canada · <1% $17.1M elsewhere · 100%
- 5 Trouble at Timpetill (2008) $6.6M No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Delgo (2008) $694.8K $694.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Timecrimes (2008) $553.2K $39.1K US & Canada · 7% $514.1K elsewhere · 93%
- 8 Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008) $450.9K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Four Dragons (2008) $67.2K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of December 2008 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 14–20) took $132.5M, led by The Tale of Despereaux (2008). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 30–Dec 6 252: Signal of Life (2008) $18.6M 252: Signal of Life (2008)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 7–13 Delgo (2008) $1.2M Delgo (2008)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 14–20 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $132.5M The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 21–27 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 28–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 2008 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2003 earned the most: $1.9B from 9 films, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). December 2008 took $152.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1999 2 films | 2 | $390.8M | – | Stuart Little (1999) $300.1M |
| December 2000 8 films · +209% | 8 | $1.2B | +209% | Cast Away (2000) $429.6M |
| December 2001 5 films · −17% | 5 | $1B | −17% | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $888.5M |
| December 2002 4 films · −93% | 4 | $69.5M | −93% | The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) $60.7M |
| December 2003 9 films · +2583% | 9 | $1.9B | +2583% | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B |
| December 2004 11 films · −71% | 11 | $533.9M | −71% | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) $211.5M |
| December 2005 11 films · +204% | 11 | $1.6B | +204% | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) $745M |
| December 2006 11 films · −18% | 11 | $1.3B | −18% | Night at the Museum (2006) $574.5M |
| December 2007 14 films · −11% | 14 | $1.2B | −11% | National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) $459.2M |
| December 2008 9 films · −87% | 9 | $152.3M | −87% | The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $87M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Adventure Movies Speak in December 2008?
English-language adventure films took $87.7M across 2 films, 58% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language adventure films ($40.4M) and French-language adventure films ($23.7M).
December 2008 Adventure Box Office by Language
Archive
Adventure Box Office in 2008, Month by Month
The months of 2008 with their totals: November leads with $1.8B, led by Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008).
- January $26.8M #1 The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008)
- February $561.6M #1 Jumper (2008)
- March $636.6M #1 Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- April $285.9M #1 The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
- May $1.8B #1 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- June $774.7M #1 WALL-E (2008)
- July $621.2M #1 Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
- August $813M #1 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
- September $47.1M #1 The Divine Weapon (2008)
- October $204.5M #1 Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
- November $1.8B #1 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- December $152.3M #1 The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
FAQ
Adventure Box Office December 2008: 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 adventure movie in December 2008?
The Tale of Despereaux (2008) leads with $87M worldwide, $50.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008) at $21.4M and 252: Signal of Life (2008) at $18.5M.
How much did adventure movies released in December 2008 earn?
9 adventure films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $152.3M in all, or $16.9M per film on average. November 2008 releases took $1.8B.
How many adventure movies released in December 2008 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Tale of Despereaux (2008), earned $87M.
How is the December 2008 adventure 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 2008. 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 2008 adventure 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.