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Drama box office · December 2009

Drama Box Office, December 2009: Top-Grossing Releases

Up in the Air (2009) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in December 2009, with $166.8M worldwide, ahead of Invictus (2009) at $122.4M and The Lovely Bones (2009) at $93.6M. 42 drama films released in December 2009 report a worldwide gross, $862.5M in all, 42% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 67% on November 2009, whose releases took $2.6B. By language, English leads with $765.3M across 18 drama releases.

December 2009 releases with a gross
42
combined worldwide
$862.5M
films crossed $100M
2
vs November 2009
−67%
Up in the Air (2009) movie poster #1 of 42
#1 drama movie of December 2009

Up in the Air (2009)

2009 · Drama, Romance

$166.8M worldwide · 19% of the chart's total

$83.8M US & Canada · 50% $83M elsewhere · 50%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of December 2009?

Up in the Air (2009) leads with $166.8M, 19% of the total. The top 5 together took $522.2M, 61% of what all 42 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Up in the Air (2009) movie poster Number 1
    $166.8M Up in the Air (2009)
    $83.8M US & Canada · 50% $83M elsewhere · 50%
  2. Invictus (2009) movie poster Number 2
    $122.4M Invictus (2009)
    $37.5M US & Canada · 31% $84.9M elsewhere · 69%
  3. The Lovely Bones (2009) movie poster Number 3
    $93.6M The Lovely Bones (2009)
    $44.1M US & Canada · 47% $49.5M elsewhere · 53%
  4. Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) movie poster Number 4
    $85.3M Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009)
    $29.6M US & Canada · 35% $55.7M elsewhere · 65%
  5. Nine (2009) movie poster Number 5
    $54M Nine (2009)
    $19.7M US & Canada · 36% $34.3M elsewhere · 64%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Drama Release of December 2009, 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 2009.

  1. 1 Up in the Air (2009) movie poster
    Up in the Air (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · English · Drama, Romance $166.8M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $83.8M Rest of the world: $83M Worldwide: $166.8M
  2. 2 Invictus (2009) movie poster
    Invictus (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · English · Biography, Drama, History $122.4M worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: $37.5M Rest of the world: $84.9M Worldwide: $122.4M
  3. 3 The Lovely Bones (2009) movie poster
    The Lovely Bones (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · English · Drama, Thriller, Fantasy $93.6M worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: $44.1M Rest of the world: $49.5M Worldwide: $93.6M
  4. 4 Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) movie poster
    Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $85.3M worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: $29.6M Rest of the world: $55.7M Worldwide: $85.3M
  5. 5 Nine (2009) movie poster
    Nine (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · English · Drama, Romance, Musical $54M worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: $19.7M Rest of the world: $34.3M Worldwide: $54M
  6. 6 The Vicious Kind (2009) movie poster
    The Vicious Kind (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · English · Drama, Comedy $47.7M worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: $25.5M Rest of the world: $22.2M Worldwide: $47.7M
  7. 7 Crazy Heart (2009) movie poster
    Crazy Heart (2009) Dec 16, 2009 · English · Drama, Romance, Music $47.4M worldwide
    Dec 16, 2009 US and Canada: $39.5M Rest of the world: $7.9M Worldwide: $47.4M
  8. 8 Brothers (2009) movie poster
    Brothers (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · English · Drama, Thriller, War $43.5M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $28.5M Rest of the world: $14.9M Worldwide: $43.5M
  9. 9 The Young Victoria (2009) movie poster
    The Young Victoria (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · English · Biography, Drama, History $29.2M worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: $11M Rest of the world: $18.2M Worldwide: $29.2M
  10. 10 A Single Man (2009) movie poster
    A Single Man (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · English · Drama $25M worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: $9.2M Rest of the world: $15.8M Worldwide: $25M
  11. 11 Armored (2009) movie poster
    Armored (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · English · Action, Drama, Thriller $22.9M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $16M Rest of the world: $7M Worldwide: $22.9M
  12. 12 Me, Them and Lara (2009) movie poster
    Me, Them and Lara (2009) Dec 3, 2009 · Italian · Comedy, Drama $22M worldwide
    Dec 3, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $22M
  13. 13 The Last Station (2009) movie poster
    The Last Station (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · English · Biography, Drama, History $20.6M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $6.6M Rest of the world: $13.9M Worldwide: $20.6M
  14. 14 The White Ribbon (2009) movie poster
    The White Ribbon (2009) Dec 30, 2009 · German · Drama, Mystery, Crime $19.4M worldwide
    Dec 30, 2009 US and Canada: $2.2M Rest of the world: $17.1M Worldwide: $19.4M
  15. 15 Everybody's Fine (2009) movie poster
    Everybody's Fine (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · Drama $16.4M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $9.2M Rest of the world: $7.2M Worldwide: $16.4M
  16. 16 Paa (2009) movie poster
    Paa (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · Hindi · Drama $9.7M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: $199.2K Rest of the world: $9.5M Worldwide: $9.7M
  17. 17 Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) movie poster
    Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · Cantonese · Action, Drama, History $6.6M worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.6M
  18. 18 Pains of Autumn (2009) movie poster
    Pains of Autumn (2009) Dec 23, 2009 · Turkish · History, Drama $3.4M worldwide
    Dec 23, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.4M
  19. 19 The Heiress (2009) movie poster
    The Heiress (2009) Dec 10, 2009 · Greek · Comedy, Drama $3.3M worldwide
    Dec 10, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.3M
  20. 20 Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009) movie poster
    Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009) Dec 2, 2009 · English · Drama, Romance, Thriller $3.2M worldwide
    Dec 2, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.2M
  21. 21 The Hell of ’63 (2009) movie poster
    The Hell of ’63 (2009) Dec 13, 2009 · Dutch · Drama $2.7M worldwide
    Dec 13, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.7M
  22. 22 Ricky (2009) movie poster
    Ricky (2009) Dec 16, 2009 · English · Drama, Fantasy, Comedy $2.5M worldwide
    Dec 16, 2009 US and Canada: $3.5K Rest of the world: $2.5M Worldwide: $2.5M
  23. 23 Backwood Philosopher (2009) movie poster
    Backwood Philosopher (2009) Dec 25, 2009 · Finnish · Comedy, Drama $2.4M worldwide
    Dec 25, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.4M
  24. 24 Wings of the Night (2009) movie poster
    Wings of the Night (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · Turkish · Crime, Romance, Drama $2M worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2M
  25. 25 Under the North Star (2009) movie poster
    Under the North Star (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · Finnish · History, Drama $1.9M worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M
  26. 26 Albert Schweitzer (2009) movie poster
    Albert Schweitzer (2009) Dec 24, 2009 · German · Romance, Comedy, Drama $1.8M worldwide
    Dec 24, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8M
  27. 27 Vettaikaaran (2009) movie poster
    Vettaikaaran (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · Tamil · Action, Drama $1.4M worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4M
  28. 28 Kawasaki’s Rose (2009) movie poster
    Kawasaki’s Rose (2009) Dec 21, 2009 · Czech · Drama $888.7K worldwide
    Dec 21, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $888.7K
  29. 29 Love, Bitter (2009) movie poster
    Love, Bitter (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · Turkish · Drama $779K worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $779K
  30. 30 Abimm (2009) movie poster
    Abimm (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · Turkish · Comedy, Drama $710.2K worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $710.2K
  31. 31 Under the Mountain (2009) movie poster
    Under the Mountain (2009) Dec 10, 2009 · English · Drama, Fantasy, Adventure $662.9K worldwide
    Dec 10, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $662.9K
  32. 32 Seven Minutes to Fall (2009) movie poster
    Seven Minutes to Fall (2009) Dec 31, 2009 · Persian · Drama, Mystery $606.6K worldwide
    Dec 31, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $606.6K
  33. 33 Giant (2009) movie poster
    Giant (2009) Dec 4, 2009 · English · Drama $527.2K worldwide
    Dec 4, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $527.2K
  34. 34 Tenderness (2009) movie poster
    Tenderness (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · Italian · Drama, Thriller, Crime $322.2K worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $322.2K
  35. 35 October Sonata (2009) movie poster
    October Sonata (2009) Dec 24, 2009 · Thai · Drama, Romance $213.6K worldwide
    Dec 24, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $213.6K
  36. 36 Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009) movie poster
    Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · Hindi · Drama, Comedy $197.7K worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $197.7K
  37. 37 Police, Adjective (2009) movie poster
    Police, Adjective (2009) Dec 23, 2009 · Romanian · Drama, Comedy, Crime $163K worldwide
    Dec 23, 2009 US and Canada: $53.2K Rest of the world: $109.8K Worldwide: $163K
  38. 38 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) movie poster
    My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) Dec 11, 2009 · English · Drama, Horror $76.7K worldwide
    Dec 11, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $76.7K
  39. 39 When Heaven Falls (2009) movie poster
    When Heaven Falls (2009) Dec 1, 2009 · Danish · Drama $63.6K worldwide
    Dec 1, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $63.6K
  40. 40 Silent Voice (2009) movie poster
    Silent Voice (2009) Dec 9, 2009 · French · Drama $21.1K worldwide
    Dec 9, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21.1K
  41. 41 Tambourine, Drum (2009) movie poster
    Tambourine, Drum (2009) Dec 10, 2009 · Russian · Drama $14.8K worldwide
    Dec 10, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.8K
  42. 42 The Lightkeepers (2009) movie poster
    The Lightkeepers (2009) Dec 18, 2009 · English · Drama, Comedy $13.6K worldwide
    Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $13.6K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in December 2009?

Of the top 10, Crazy Heart (2009) earned the biggest share at home (83% in the US & Canada), while Invictus (2009) made 69% of its gross abroad. Across all 42 films, $362.7M (42%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Up in the Air (2009) $166.8M
    $83.8M US & Canada · 50% $83M elsewhere · 50%
  2. 2 Invictus (2009) $122.4M
    $37.5M US & Canada · 31% $84.9M elsewhere · 69%
  3. 3 The Lovely Bones (2009) $93.6M
    $44.1M US & Canada · 47% $49.5M elsewhere · 53%
  4. 4 Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) $85.3M
    $29.6M US & Canada · 35% $55.7M elsewhere · 65%
  5. 5 Nine (2009) $54M
    $19.7M US & Canada · 36% $34.3M elsewhere · 64%
  6. 6 The Vicious Kind (2009) $47.7M
    $25.5M US & Canada · 53% $22.2M elsewhere · 47%
  7. 7 Crazy Heart (2009) $47.4M
    $39.5M US & Canada · 83% $7.9M elsewhere · 17%
  8. 8 Brothers (2009) $43.5M
    $28.5M US & Canada · 66% $14.9M elsewhere · 34%
  9. 9 The Young Victoria (2009) $29.2M
    $11M US & Canada · 38% $18.2M elsewhere · 62%
  10. 10 A Single Man (2009) $25M
    $9.2M US & Canada · 37% $15.8M elsewhere · 63%
Gross bands

How Many December 2009 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

2 of 42 films crossed $100M and took $289.3M between them, 34% of the total. 27 films, 64% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 2 films, 5% of the list $289.3M · 34% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 13 films, 31% of the list $527M · 61% of the gross
  • Under $10M 27 films, 64% of the list $46.2M · 5% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of December 2009 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 49 (Nov 29–Dec 5) took $308.4M, led by Up in the Air (2009). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 Up in the Air (2009) $308.4M Up in the Air (2009)
  2. Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Invictus (2009) $295.4M Invictus (2009)
  3. Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) $229.8M Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009)
  4. Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 Pains of Autumn (2009) $8.9M Pains of Autumn (2009)
  5. Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 The White Ribbon (2009) $20M The White Ribbon (2009)
Earlier years

How Does December 2009 Compare With December in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, December 2007 earned the most: $2.4B from 46 films, led by I Am Legend (2007). December 2009 took $862.5M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
December 2000 22 films 22 $1.4B – Cast Away (2000) $429.6M
December 2001 32 films · −26% 32 $1B −26% A Beautiful Mind (2001) $316.8M
December 2002 35 films · +23% 35 $1.3B +23% Catch Me If You Can (2002) $352.1M
December 2003 27 films · +4% 27 $1.3B +4% The Last Samurai (2003) $454.6M
December 2004 40 films · −26% 40 $988.9M −26% Million Dollar Baby (2004) $216.8M
December 2005 36 films · +56% 36 $1.5B +56% King Kong (2005) $556.9M
December 2006 63 films · +29% 63 $2B +29% The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) $307.1M
December 2007 46 films · +23% 46 $2.4B +23% I Am Legend (2007) $585.4M
December 2008 61 films · −9% 61 $2.2B −9% The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) $335.8M
December 2009 42 films · −61% 42 $862.5M −61% Up in the Air (2009) $166.8M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in December 2009?

English-language drama films took $765.3M across 18 films, 89% of the total, ahead of Italian-language drama films ($22.4M) and German-language drama films ($21.2M).

December 2009 Drama Box Office by Language

  1. English $765.3M
    18 films · #1 Up in the Air (2009)
  2. Italian $22.4M
    2 films · #1 Me, Them and Lara (2009)
  3. German $21.2M
    2 films · #1 The White Ribbon (2009)
  4. Hindi $9.9M
    2 films · #1 Paa (2009)
  5. Turkish $6.9M
    4 films · #1 Pains of Autumn (2009)
  6. Cantonese $6.6M
    1 film · #1 Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)
  7. Finnish $4.4M
    2 films · #1 Backwood Philosopher (2009)
  8. Greek $3.3M
    1 film · #1 The Heiress (2009)
  9. Dutch $2.7M
    1 film · #1 The Hell of ’63 (2009)
  10. Tamil $1.4M
    1 film · #1 Vettaikaaran (2009)
Archive

Drama Box Office in 2009, Month by Month

The months of 2009 with their totals: November leads with $2.6B, led by 2012 (2009).

FAQ

Drama Box Office December 2009: 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 42 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing drama movie in December 2009?

Up in the Air (2009) leads with $166.8M worldwide, $83.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Invictus (2009) at $122.4M and The Lovely Bones (2009) at $93.6M.

How much did drama movies released in December 2009 earn?

42 drama films released in December 2009 report a worldwide gross, $862.5M in all, or $20.5M per film on average. November 2009 releases took $2.6B.

How many drama movies released in December 2009 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Up in the Air (2009) with $166.8M.

How much of the December 2009 Drama box office came from the US and Canada?

$362.7M of the $862.5M total, or 42%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 25 films of the 42 report no domestic figure.

How is the December 2009 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 2009. 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 2009 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.