#1 of 6 #1 drama movie of December 1986
1986 · Drama, War
$138.5M worldwide · 71% of the chart's total
$138.5M US & Canada · 100% $15.7K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · December 1986
Drama Box Office, December 1986: Top-Grossing Releases
Platoon (1986) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in December 1986, with $138.5M worldwide, ahead of Heartbreak Ridge (1986) at $42.7M and No Mercy (1986) at $12.3M. 6 drama films released in December 1986 report a worldwide gross, $194.9M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 14% on November 1986, whose releases took $171.1M. By language, English leads with $182.6M across 5 drama releases.
- December 1986 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $194.9M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs November 1986
- +14%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of December 1986?
Platoon (1986) leads with $138.5M, 71% of the total. The top 5 together took $194.9M, almost all of what the 6 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 1986, 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 1986.
- 1 Dec 19, 1986 US and Canada: $138.5M Rest of the world: $15.7K Worldwide: $138.5M
- 2 Dec 5, 1986 US and Canada: $42.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $42.7M
- 3 Dec 19, 1986 US and Canada: $12.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.3M
- 4 Dec 24, 1986 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
- 5 Dec 25, 1986 US and Canada: $19.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $19.4K
- 6
Dec 25, 1986 US and Canada: $8.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.7K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1986?
Of the top 6, Heartbreak Ridge (1986) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Platoon (1986) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $194.9M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Platoon (1986) $138.5M $138.5M US & Canada · 100% $15.7K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Heartbreak Ridge (1986) $42.7M $42.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 No Mercy (1986) $12.3M $12.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Native Son (1986) $1.3M $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Windrider (1986) $19.4K $19.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Duet for One (1986) $8.7K $8.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1986 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 14–20) took $150.9M, led by Platoon (1986). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 30–Dec 6 Heartbreak Ridge (1986) $42.7M Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 7–13 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 14–20 Platoon (1986) $150.9M Platoon (1986)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 21–27 Native Son (1986) $1.3M Native Son (1986)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 28–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1986 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1984 earned the most: $427.4M from 9 films, led by Beverly Hills Cop (1984). December 1986 took $194.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1977 3 films | 3 | $237.3M | – | Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M |
| December 1978 5 films · −65% | 5 | $82.5M | −65% | The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M |
| December 1979 7 films · +235% | 7 | $276.6M | +235% | Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $106.3M |
| December 1980 3 films · −83% | 3 | $47.2M | −83% | The Jazz Singer (1980) $27.1M |
| December 1981 11 films · +566% | 11 | $314.5M | +566% | On Golden Pond (1981) $119.3M |
| December 1982 10 films · +26% | 10 | $394.9M | +26% | Tootsie (1982) $177.2M |
| December 1983 9 films · −58% | 9 | $167.6M | −58% | Scarface (1983) $66.4M |
| December 1984 9 films · +155% | 9 | $427.4M | +155% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| December 1985 9 films · −7% | 9 | $398.8M | −7% | Out of Africa (1985) $227.5M |
| December 1986 6 films · −51% | 6 | $194.9M | −51% | Platoon (1986) $138.5M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1986, Month by Month
The months of 1986 with their totals: May leads with $387.3M, led by Top Gun (1986).
- January $44.9M #1 Youngblood (1986)
- February $107.4M #1 Pretty in Pink (1986)
- March $67.3M #1 Gung Ho (1986)
- April $39.7M #1 A Room with a View (1986)
- May $387.3M #1 Top Gun (1986)
- June $7M #1 Mona Lisa (1986)
- July $111.5M #1 About Last Night... (1986)
- August $101M #1 Stand by Me (1986)
- September $25.6M #1 Blue Velvet (1986)
- October $152.4M #1 The Color of Money (1986)
- November $171.1M #1 An American Tail (1986)
- December $194.9M #1 Platoon (1986)
FAQ
Drama Box Office December 1986: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in December 1986?
Platoon (1986) leads with $138.5M worldwide, $138.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Heartbreak Ridge (1986) at $42.7M and No Mercy (1986) at $12.3M.
How much did drama movies released in December 1986 earn?
6 drama films released in December 1986 report a worldwide gross, $194.9M in all, or $32.5M per film on average. November 1986 releases took $171.1M.
How many drama movies released in December 1986 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Platoon (1986) with $138.5M.
How is the December 1986 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 1986. 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 1986 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.