#1 of 8 #1 comedy movie of December 1998
1998 · Drama, Comedy
$289.3M worldwide · 30% of the chart's total
$100.3M US & Canada · 35% $189M elsewhere · 65%
Comedy box office · December 1998
Comedy Box Office, December 1998: Top-Grossing Releases
Shakespeare in Love (1998) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in December 1998, with $289.3M worldwide, ahead of You've Got Mail (1998) at $250.8M and Patch Adams (1998) at $202.3M. 8 comedy films released in December 1998 report a worldwide gross, $958.6M in all, 52% of it from the US & Canada. 4 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 11% on November 1998, whose releases took $861.6M. By language, English leads with $924M across 7 comedy releases.
- December 1998 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $958.6M
- films crossed $100M
- 4
- vs November 1998
- +11%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of December 1998?
Shakespeare in Love (1998) leads with $289.3M, 30% of the total. The top 5 together took $936.7M, 98% 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 1998, 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 1998.
- 1 Dec 11, 1998 US and Canada: $100.3M Rest of the world: $189M Worldwide: $289.3M
- 2 Dec 18, 1998 US and Canada: $115.8M Rest of the world: $135M Worldwide: $250.8M
- 3 Dec 25, 1998 US and Canada: $135M Rest of the world: $67.3M Worldwide: $202.3M
- 4 Dec 25, 1998 US and Canada: $91.1M Rest of the world: $68.6M Worldwide: $159.7M
- 5 Dec 11, 1998 US and Canada: $34.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $34.6M
- 6
Dec 11, 1998 US and Canada: $17.1M Rest of the world: $93.3K Worldwide: $17.2M - 7
Dec 4, 1998 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M - 8
Dec 23, 1998 US and Canada: $73.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $73.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1998?
Of the top 8, Jack Frost (1998) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Shakespeare in Love (1998) made 65% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $498.7M (52%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M $100.3M US & Canada · 35% $189M elsewhere · 65%
- 2 You've Got Mail (1998) $250.8M $115.8M US & Canada · 46% $135M elsewhere · 54%
- 3 Patch Adams (1998) $202.3M $135M US & Canada · 67% $67.3M elsewhere · 33%
- 4 Stepmom (1998) $159.7M $91.1M US & Canada · 57% $68.6M elsewhere · 43%
- 5 Jack Frost (1998) $34.6M $34.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Rushmore (1998) $17.2M $17.1M US & Canada · 99% $93.3K elsewhere · <1%
- 7 Little Voice (1998) $4.6M $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 The Theory of Flight (1998) $73.2K $73.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1998 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 52 (Dec 20–26) took $362.1M, led by Patch Adams (1998). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 Little Voice (1998) $4.6M Little Voice (1998)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Shakespeare in Love (1998) $341.1M Shakespeare in Love (1998)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 You've Got Mail (1998) $250.8M You've Got Mail (1998)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 Patch Adams (1998) $362.1M Patch Adams (1998)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1998 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1998 earned the most: $958.6M from 8 films, led by Shakespeare in Love (1998).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1989 10 films | 10 | $507.5M | – | The War of the Roses (1989) $160.2M |
| December 1990 6 films · −46% | 6 | $273.2M | −46% | Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M |
| December 1991 8 films · +69% | 8 | $460.7M | +69% | Hook (1991) $300.9M |
| December 1992 4 films · −76% | 4 | $111.3M | −76% | The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) $46.7M |
| December 1993 7 films · +172% | 7 | $302.5M | +172% | Beethoven’s 2nd (1993) $118.2M |
| December 1994 13 films · +56% | 13 | $473.3M | +56% | Dumb and Dumber (1994) $247.3M |
| December 1995 9 films · −35% | 9 | $308.3M | −35% | Waiting to Exhale (1995) $81.5M |
| December 1996 11 films · +131% | 11 | $713.2M | +131% | Jerry Maguire (1996) $273.6M |
| December 1997 9 films · −20% | 9 | $570.3M | −20% | As Good as It Gets (1997) $314.2M |
| December 1998 8 films · +68% | 8 | $958.6M | +68% | Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M |
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1998, Month by Month
The months of 1998 with their totals: December leads with $958.6M, led by Shakespeare in Love (1998).
- January $49.7M #1 Spice World (1998)
- February $162.2M #1 The Wedding Singer (1998)
- March $113.3M #1 Primary Colors (1998)
- April $183.1M #1 The Object of My Affection (1998)
- May $68.5M #1 Bulworth (1998)
- June $420.9M #1 Dr. Dolittle (1998)
- July $663.4M #1 There's Something About Mary (1998)
- August $39M #1 Dead Man on Campus (1998)
- September $269.2M #1 Rush Hour (1998)
- October $383.8M #1 Antz (1998)
- November $861.6M #1 A Bug's Life (1998)
- December $958.6M #1 Shakespeare in Love (1998)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office December 1998: 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 1998?
Shakespeare in Love (1998) leads with $289.3M worldwide, $100.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come You've Got Mail (1998) at $250.8M and Patch Adams (1998) at $202.3M.
How much did comedy movies released in December 1998 earn?
8 comedy films released in December 1998 report a worldwide gross, $958.6M in all, or $119.8M per film on average. November 1998 releases took $861.6M.
How many comedy movies released in December 1998 made $1 billion?
None. 4 films crossed $100 million, led by Shakespeare in Love (1998) with $289.3M.
How is the December 1998 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 1998. 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 1998 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.