#1 of 5 #1 crime movie of December 1990
1990 · Action, Thriller
$202M worldwide · 54% of the chart's total
$91.5M US & Canada · 45% $110.5M elsewhere · 55%
Crime box office · December 1990
Crime Box Office, December 1990: Top-Grossing Releases
Kindergarten Cop (1990) is the highest-grossing crime movie released in December 1990, with $202M worldwide, ahead of The Godfather: Part III (1990) at $136.9M and The Rookie (1990) at $21.6M. 5 crime films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $377.2M in all, 51% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 30% on November 1990, whose releases took $540.6M. By language, English leads with $373.9M across 4 crime releases.
- December 1990 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $377.2M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs November 1990
- −30%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Crime Hits of December 1990?
Kindergarten Cop (1990) leads with $202M, 54% of the total. The top 5 together took $377.2M, almost all of what the 5 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 Crime Release of December 1990, 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 1990.
- 1 Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $91.5M Rest of the world: $110.5M Worldwide: $202M
- 2 Dec 25, 1990 US and Canada: $66.8M Rest of the world: $70.1M Worldwide: $136.9M
- 3 Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $21.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.6M
- 4 Dec 5, 1990 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M
- 5 Dec 15, 1990 US and Canada: $146.3K Rest of the world: $3.1M Worldwide: $3.3M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1990?
Of the top 5, The Rookie (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Days of Being Wild (1990) made 96% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $193.4M (51%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M $91.5M US & Canada · 45% $110.5M elsewhere · 55%
- 2 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M $66.8M US & Canada · 49% $70.1M elsewhere · 51%
- 3 The Rookie (1990) $21.6M $21.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Grifters (1990) $13.4M $13.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Days of Being Wild (1990) $3.3M $146.3K US & Canada · 4% $3.1M elsewhere · 96%
By release week
Which Week of December 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 16–22) took $202M, led by Kindergarten Cop (1990). 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 The Rookie (1990) $35.1M The Rookie (1990)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 9–15 Days of Being Wild (1990) $3.3M Days of Being Wild (1990)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 16–22 Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M Kindergarten Cop (1990)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 23–29 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M The Godfather: Part III (1990)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 30–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1990 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1984 earned the most: $404.5M from 5 films, led by Beverly Hills Cop (1984). December 1990 took $377.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1981 2 films | 2 | $42.5M | – | Sharky's Machine (1981) $35.6M |
| December 1982 2 films · +107% | 2 | $87.9M | +107% | 48 Hrs. (1982) $78.9M |
| December 1983 5 films · +71% | 5 | $150.1M | +71% | Sudden Impact (1983) $67.6M |
| December 1984 5 films · +170% | 5 | $404.5M | +170% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| December 1985 2 films · −96% | 2 | $14.8M | −96% | Clue (1985) $14.6M |
| December 1986 2 films · +154% | 2 | $37.5M | +154% | The Morning After (1986) $25.1M |
| December 1987 2 films · +172% | 2 | $101.8M | +172% | Throw Momma from the Train (1987) $57.9M |
| December 1988 4 films · +60% | 4 | $163.1M | +60% | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) $78.8M |
| December 1989 3 films · −47% | 3 | $86.2M | −47% | Tango & Cash (1989) $63.4M |
| December 1990 5 films · +338% | 5 | $377.2M | +338% | Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M |
Archive
Crime Box Office in 1990, Month by Month
The months of 1990 with their totals: November leads with $540.6M, led by Home Alone (1990).
- January $33.5M #1 Internal Affairs (1990)
- February $79.3M #1 Hard to Kill (1990)
- March $25.4M #1 Nuns on the Run (1990)
- April $84.6M #1 Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
- May $35.7M #1 Cadillac Man (1990)
- June $361.9M #1 Dick Tracy (1990)
- July $276.8M #1 Die Hard 2 (1990)
- August $92.4M #1 Darkman (1990)
- September $81M #1 Goodfellas (1990)
- October $67.2M #1 Marked for Death (1990)
- November $540.6M #1 Home Alone (1990)
- December $377.2M #1 Kindergarten Cop (1990)
FAQ
Crime Box Office December 1990: 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing crime movie in December 1990?
Kindergarten Cop (1990) leads with $202M worldwide, $91.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Godfather: Part III (1990) at $136.9M and The Rookie (1990) at $21.6M.
How much did crime movies released in December 1990 earn?
5 crime films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $377.2M in all, or $75.4M per film on average. November 1990 releases took $540.6M.
How many crime movies released in December 1990 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Kindergarten Cop (1990) with $202M.
How is the December 1990 crime 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 1990. 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 1990 crime 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.