#1 of 12 #1 drama movie of December 1990
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
1990 · Action, Drama
$136.9M worldwide · 34% of the chart's total
$66.8M US & Canada · 49% $70.1M elsewhere · 51%
Drama box office · December 1990
Drama Box Office, December 1990: Top-Grossing Releases
The Godfather: Part III (1990) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in December 1990, with $136.9M worldwide, ahead of Edward Scissorhands (1990) at $86M and Awakenings (1990) at $52.1M. 12 drama films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $407.8M in all, 75% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 44% on November 1990, whose releases took $724.1M. By language, English leads with $398.7M across 10 drama releases.
- December 1990 releases with a gross
- 12
- combined worldwide
- $407.8M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs November 1990
- −44%
#1 of 12 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of December 1990?
The Godfather: Part III (1990) leads with $136.9M, 34% of the total. The top 5 together took $333.4M, 82% of what all 12 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 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 25, 1990 US and Canada: $66.8M Rest of the world: $70.1M Worldwide: $136.9M
- 2 Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $56.4M Rest of the world: $29.7M Worldwide: $86M
- 3 Dec 20, 1990 US and Canada: $52.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $52.1M
- 4 Dec 14, 1990 US and Canada: $35.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.4M
- 5 Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $23M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23M
- 6
Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $21.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.6M - 7
Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $15.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.7M - 8
Dec 5, 1990 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M - 9
Dec 11, 1990 US and Canada: $9.2M Rest of the world: $402.3K Worldwide: $9.6M - 10
Dec 1, 1990 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: $2K Worldwide: $5.8M - 11
Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $4.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.9M - 12
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 10, Awakenings (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Godfather: Part III (1990) made 51% of its gross abroad. Across all 12 films, $304.5M (75%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M $66.8M US & Canada · 49% $70.1M elsewhere · 51%
- 2 Edward Scissorhands (1990) $86M $56.4M US & Canada · 66% $29.7M elsewhere · 34%
- 3 Awakenings (1990) $52.1M $52.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Mermaids (1990) $35.4M $35.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Russia House (1990) $23M $23M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Rookie (1990) $21.6M $21.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) $15.7M $15.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 The Grifters (1990) $13.4M $13.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Havana (1990) $9.6M $9.2M US & Canada · 96% $402.3K elsewhere · 4%
- 10 Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) $5.8M $5.8M US & Canada · 100% $2K elsewhere · <1%
Gross bands
How Many December 1990 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
1 of 12 films crossed $100M and took $136.9M between them, 34% of the total. 4 films, 33% of the list, earned under $10M.
34% 61%
- $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 1 film, 8% of the list $136.9M · 34% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 7 films, 58% of the list $247.3M · 61% of the gross
- Under $10M 4 films, 33% of the list $23.6M · 6% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of December 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 52 (Dec 23–29) took $136.9M, led by The Godfather: Part III (1990). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 25–Dec 1 Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) $5.8M Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 2–8 Edward Scissorhands (1990) $121.1M Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 9–15 Mermaids (1990) $48.3M Mermaids (1990)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 16–22 Awakenings (1990) $95.7M Awakenings (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 1988 earned the most: $590.8M from 11 films, led by Rain Man (1988). December 1990 took $407.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1981 11 films | 11 | $314.5M | – | 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 |
| December 1987 11 films · +34% | 11 | $262M | +34% | Moonstruck (1987) $80.6M |
| December 1988 11 films · +126% | 11 | $590.8M | +126% | Rain Man (1988) $354.8M |
| December 1989 10 films · −25% | 10 | $441M | −25% | Born on the Fourth of July (1989) $161M |
| December 1990 12 films · −8% | 12 | $407.8M | −8% | The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in December 1990?
English-language drama films took $398.7M across 10 films, 98% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($5.8M) and Cantonese-language drama films ($3.3M).
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1990, Month by Month
The months of 1990 with their totals: November leads with $724.1M, led by Dances with Wolves (1990).
- January $30.8M #1 Internal Affairs (1990)
- February $127.7M #1 Hard to Kill (1990)
- March $52.2M #1 Lord of the Flies (1990)
- April $66.6M #1 The Guardian (1990)
- May $8.8M #1 Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990)
- June $313M #1 Days of Thunder (1990)
- July $505.8M #1 Ghost (1990)
- August $161.5M #1 Flatliners (1990)
- September $103.2M #1 Goodfellas (1990)
- October $198.8M #1 Marked for Death (1990)
- November $724.1M #1 Dances with Wolves (1990)
- December $407.8M #1 The Godfather: Part III (1990)
FAQ
Drama 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 12 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in December 1990?
The Godfather: Part III (1990) leads with $136.9M worldwide, $66.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Edward Scissorhands (1990) at $86M and Awakenings (1990) at $52.1M.
How much did drama movies released in December 1990 earn?
12 drama films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $407.8M in all, or $34M per film on average. November 1990 releases took $724.1M.
How many drama movies released in December 1990 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by The Godfather: Part III (1990) with $136.9M.
How is the December 1990 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 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 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.