#1 of 8 #1 comedy movie of December 1987
1987 · Drama, Comedy
$80.6M worldwide · 23% of the chart's total
$80.6M US & Canada · 100% $5.9K elsewhere · <1%
Comedy box office · December 1987
Comedy Box Office, December 1987: Top-Grossing Releases
Moonstruck (1987) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in December 1987, with $80.6M worldwide, ahead of Broadcast News (1987) at $67.3M and *batteries not included (1987) at $65.1M. 8 comedy films released in December 1987 report a worldwide gross, $353.8M in all, 86% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 36% on November 1987, whose releases took $260.9M. By language, English leads with $353.8M across 8 comedy releases.
- December 1987 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $353.8M
- Moonstruck (1987), the #1
- $80.6M
- vs November 1987
- +36%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of December 1987?
Moonstruck (1987) leads with $80.6M, 23% of the total. The top 5 together took $321.5M, 91% of what all 8 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 Comedy Release of December 1987, 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 1987.
- 1 Dec 18, 1987 US and Canada: $80.6M Rest of the world: $5.9K Worldwide: $80.6M
- 2 Dec 16, 1987 US and Canada: $51.2M Rest of the world: $16.1M Worldwide: $67.3M
- 3 Dec 18, 1987 US and Canada: $32.9M Rest of the world: $32.1M Worldwide: $65.1M
- 4 Dec 11, 1987 US and Canada: $57.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $57.9M
- 5 Dec 18, 1987 US and Canada: $50.5M Rest of the world: $634 Worldwide: $50.5M
- 6
Dec 16, 1987 US and Canada: $26.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.7M - 7
Dec 18, 1987 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M - 8
Dec 13, 1987 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1987?
Of the top 8, Throw Momma from the Train (1987) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while *batteries not included (1987) made 49% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $305.6M (86%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Moonstruck (1987) $80.6M $80.6M US & Canada · 100% $5.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Broadcast News (1987) $67.3M $51.2M US & Canada · 76% $16.1M elsewhere · 24%
- 3 *batteries not included (1987) $65.1M $32.9M US & Canada · 51% $32.1M elsewhere · 49%
- 4 Throw Momma from the Train (1987) $57.9M $57.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) $50.5M $50.5M US & Canada · 100% $634 elsewhere · <1%
- 6 Overboard (1987) $26.7M $26.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Leonard Part 6 (1987) $4.6M $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Cross My Heart (1987) $1M $1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1987 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 13–19) took $295.9M, led by Moonstruck (1987). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Throw Momma from the Train (1987) $57.9M Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Moonstruck (1987) $295.9M Moonstruck (1987)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1987 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1984 earned the most: $463.1M from 7 films, led by Beverly Hills Cop (1984). December 1987 took $353.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1978 2 films | 2 | $93.1M | – | Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $85.2M |
| December 1979 6 films · +220% | 6 | $298.3M | +220% | 1941 (1979) $92.5M |
| December 1980 7 films · +31% | 7 | $391.3M | +31% | 9 to 5 (1980) $103.3M |
| December 1981 5 films · −85% | 5 | $58.5M | −85% | Neighbors (1981) $29.9M |
| December 1982 8 films · +578% | 8 | $396.5M | +578% | Tootsie (1982) $177.2M |
| December 1983 4 films · −84% | 4 | $63.8M | −84% | Two of a Kind (1983) $23.6M |
| December 1984 7 films · +626% | 7 | $463.1M | +626% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| December 1985 7 films · −52% | 7 | $220M | −52% | The Jewel of the Nile (1985) $96.8M |
| December 1986 7 films · −2% | 7 | $216.6M | −2% | The Golden Child (1986) $79.8M |
| December 1987 8 films · +63% | 8 | $353.8M | +63% | Moonstruck (1987) $80.6M |
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1987, Month by Month
The months of 1987 with their totals: May leads with $354.2M, led by Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).
- January $112M #1 Outrageous Fortune (1987)
- February $59.7M #1 Mannequin (1987)
- March $123.2M #1 Blind Date (1987)
- April $165M #1 The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)
- May $354.2M #1 Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
- June $263.2M #1 Dragnet (1987)
- July $139.7M #1 Summer School (1987)
- August $157.6M #1 Stakeout (1987)
- September $48.1M #1 The Princess Bride (1987)
- October $88.1M #1 Like Father Like Son (1987)
- November $260.9M #1 3 Men and a Baby (1987)
- December $353.8M #1 Moonstruck (1987)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office December 1987: 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 comedy movie in December 1987?
Moonstruck (1987) leads with $80.6M worldwide, $80.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Broadcast News (1987) at $67.3M and *batteries not included (1987) at $65.1M.
How much did comedy movies released in December 1987 earn?
8 comedy films released in December 1987 report a worldwide gross, $353.8M in all, or $44.2M per film on average. November 1987 releases took $260.9M.
How many comedy movies released in December 1987 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Moonstruck (1987), earned $80.6M.
How is the December 1987 comedy 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 1987. 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 1987 comedy 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.