#1 of 5 #1 drama movie of December 1978
1978 · Drama, War
$49.1M worldwide · 59% of the chart's total
$49M US & Canada · 100% $101K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · December 1978
Drama Box Office, December 1978: Top-Grossing Releases
The Deer Hunter (1978) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in December 1978, with $49.1M worldwide, ahead of Moment by Moment (1978) at $11M and The Brink's Job (1978) at $7.9M. 5 drama films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $82.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 20.8 times the total of November 1978, whose releases took $4M. By language, English leads with $82.5M across 5 drama releases.
- December 1978 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $82.5M
- The Deer Hunter (1978), the #1
- $49.1M
- vs November 1978
- ×20.8
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of December 1978?
The Deer Hunter (1978) leads with $49.1M, 59% of the total. The top 5 together took $82.5M, 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 Drama Release of December 1978, 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 1978.
- 1 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $49M Rest of the world: $101K Worldwide: $49.1M
- 2 Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $11M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11M
- 3 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.9M
- 4 Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $7.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.3M
- 5 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.2M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1978?
Of the top 5, Moment by Moment (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Deer Hunter (1978) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $82.4M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M $49M US & Canada · 100% $101K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Moment by Moment (1978) $11M $11M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Brink's Job (1978) $7.9M $7.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 King of the Gypsies (1978) $7.3M $7.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Force 10 from Navarone (1978) $7.2M $7.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1978 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 49 (Dec 3–9) took $64.2M, led by The Deer Hunter (1978). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 26–Dec 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 3–9 The Deer Hunter (1978) $64.2M The Deer Hunter (1978)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 10–16 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 17–23 Moment by Moment (1978) $18.3M Moment by Moment (1978)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 24–30 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1978 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1973 earned the most: $670.3M from 6 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). December 1978 took $82.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1969 3 films | 3 | $84.1K | – | Z (1969) $83.3K |
| December 1970 5 films · +37674% | 5 | $31.8M | +37674% | Little Big Man (1970) $31.6M |
| December 1971 4 films · +18% | 4 | $37.6M | +18% | A Clockwork Orange (1971) $27M |
| December 1972 5 films · +126% | 5 | $84.9M | +126% | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
| December 1973 6 films · +689% | 6 | $670.3M | +689% | The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M |
| December 1974 6 films · −73% | 6 | $182.8M | −73% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| December 1975 3 films · −72% | 3 | $50.8M | −72% | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) $50M |
| December 1976 2 films · +289% | 2 | $197.3M | +289% | Rocky (1976) $117.3M |
| December 1977 3 films · +20% | 3 | $237.3M | +20% | Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M |
| December 1978 5 films · −65% | 5 | $82.5M | −65% | The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1978, Month by Month
The months of 1978 with their totals: June leads with $210.7M, led by Jaws 2 (1978).
- January $495.4K #1 Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)
- February $51.3M #1 Coming Home (1978)
- March $23.3M #1 Straight Time (1978)
- April $45.9M #1 F.I.S.T. (1978)
- May $76M #1 The End (1978)
- June $210.7M #1 Jaws 2 (1978)
- July $7M #1 International Velvet (1978)
- August $10.4M #1 Interiors (1978)
- September $28.8M #1 Death on the Nile (1978)
- October $44.6M #1 Midnight Express (1978)
- November $4M #1 Caravans (1978)
- December $82.5M #1 The Deer Hunter (1978)
FAQ
Drama Box Office December 1978: 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 drama movie in December 1978?
The Deer Hunter (1978) leads with $49.1M worldwide, $49M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Moment by Moment (1978) at $11M and The Brink's Job (1978) at $7.9M.
How much did drama movies released in December 1978 earn?
5 drama films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $82.5M in all, or $16.5M per film on average. November 1978 releases took $4M.
How many drama movies released in December 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Deer Hunter (1978), earned $49.1M.
How is the December 1978 drama 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 1978. 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 1978 drama 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.