#1 of 13 #1 documentary movie of December 2023
2023 · Documentary
$1.8M worldwide · 44% of the chart's total
$508.9K US & Canada · 28% $1.3M elsewhere · 72%
Documentary box office · December 2023
Documentary Box Office, December 2023: Top-Grossing Releases
Anselm (2023) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in December 2023, with $1.8M worldwide, ahead of Kina & Yuk (2023) at $1.4M and Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (2023) at $256.6K. 13 documentary films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $4.2M in all, 14% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 3% on November 2023, whose releases took $4.3M. By language, German leads with $1.8M across 1 documentary release.
- December 2023 releases with a gross
- 13
- combined worldwide
- $4.2M
- Anselm (2023), the #1
- $1.8M
- vs November 2023
- −3%
#1 of 13 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of December 2023?
Anselm (2023) leads with $1.8M, 44% of the total. The top 5 together took $3.9M, 94% of what all 13 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 Documentary Release of December 2023, 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 2023.
- 1 Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: $508.9K Rest of the world: $1.3M Worldwide: $1.8M
- 2 Dec 27, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4M
- 3 Dec 1, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $256.6K
- 4 Dec 12, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $205.9K
- 5 Dec 24, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $152.1K
- 6
Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $113.1K - 7
Dec 15, 2023 US and Canada: $66.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $66.4K - 8
Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $26.8K - 9
Dec 7, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $17K - 10
Dec 5, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.5K - 11
Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: $7.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.8K - 12
Dec 1, 2023 US and Canada: $5.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.5K - 13
Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4K
Gross bands
How Many December 2023 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 13 films reached $100M. 13 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $4.2M total.
100%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- Under $10M 13 films, 100% of the list $4.2M · 100% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of December 2023 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 49 (Dec 3–9) took $2M, led by Anselm (2023). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 26–Dec 2 Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (2023) $262.1K Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (2023)
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 3–9 Anselm (2023) $2M Anselm (2023)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 10–16 Deep Sky (2023) $272.3K Deep Sky (2023)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 17–23 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 24–30 Kina & Yuk (2023) $1.6M Kina & Yuk (2023)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 2023 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2018 earned the most: $25.2M from 9 films, led by They Shall Not Grow Old (2018). December 2023 took $4.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2014 7 films | 7 | $2M | – | Streif: One Hell of a Ride (2014) $1.8M |
| December 2015 8 films · +171% | 8 | $5.3M | +171% | Where to Invade Next (2015) $4.7M |
| December 2016 15 films · +88% | 15 | $10M | +88% | I Am Not Your Negro (2016) $8.3M |
| December 2017 8 films · +31% | 8 | $13.2M | +31% | Killing for Love (2017) $8.3M |
| December 2018 9 films · +92% | 9 | $25.2M | +92% | They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) $21.7M |
| December 2019 7 films · −96% | 7 | $1M | −96% | Gorillaz: Reject False Icons (2019) $475.5K |
| December 2020 8 films · +967% | 8 | $10.8M | +967% | The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo (2020) $9.7M |
| December 2021 8 films · −88% | 8 | $1.4M | −88% | Flee (2021) $711.7K |
| December 2022 17 films · +75% | 17 | $2.4M | +75% | Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon (2022) $840.6K |
| December 2023 13 films · +75% | 13 | $4.2M | +75% | Anselm (2023) $1.8M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in December 2023?
German-language documentary films took $1.8M across 1 film, 44% of the total, ahead of French-language documentary films ($1.4M) and English-language documentary films ($809K).
December 2023 Documentary Box Office by Language
-
German $1.8M1 film · #1 Anselm (2023) -
French $1.4M1 film · #1 Kina & Yuk (2023) -
English $809K7 films · #1 Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (2023) -
Italian $26.8K1 film · #1 Benson - La vita è il nemico (2023) -
Spanish $17K1 film · #1 Muchachos, la película de la gente (2023) -
Chinese $7.8K1 film · #1 Total Trust (2023) -
Swedish $5.4K1 film · #1 A Tiger in Paradise (2023)
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2023, Month by Month
The months of 2023 with their totals: October leads with $19.3M, led by After Death (2023).
- January $211.1K #1 Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023)
- February $1.9M #1 Whale Nation (2023)
- March $2.6M #1 Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices (2023)
- April $5.6M #1 The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli (2023)
- May $3.8M #1 John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023)
- June $2.1M #1 The Last Breath of Sam Yan (2023)
- July $3.7M #1 Filipka (2023)
- August $2.3M #1 Antarctica Calling (2023)
- September $2.6M #1 Canary (2023)
- October $19.3M #1 After Death (2023)
- November $4.3M #1 The Meaning and Mystery of Life (2023)
- December $4.2M #1 Anselm (2023)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office December 2023: 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 13 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in December 2023?
Anselm (2023) leads with $1.8M worldwide, $508.9K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Kina & Yuk (2023) at $1.4M and Arctic: Our Frozen Planet (2023) at $256.6K.
How much did documentary movies released in December 2023 earn?
13 documentary films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $4.2M in all, or $319.2K per film on average. November 2023 releases took $4.3M.
How many documentary movies released in December 2023 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Anselm (2023), earned $1.8M.
How is the December 2023 documentary 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 2023. 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 2023 documentary 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.