#1 of 7 #1 family movie of December 2008
2008 · Drama, Comedy
$255.7M worldwide · 45% of the chart's total
$143.2M US & Canada · 56% $112.6M elsewhere · 44%
Family box office · December 2008
Family Box Office, December 2008: Top-Grossing Releases
Marley & Me (2008) is the highest-grossing family movie released in December 2008, with $255.7M worldwide, ahead of Bedtime Stories (2008) at $212.9M and The Tale of Despereaux (2008) at $87M. 7 family films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $563.4M in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 38% on November 2008, whose releases took $914.3M. By language, English leads with $556.3M across 5 family releases.
- December 2008 releases with a gross
- 7
- combined worldwide
- $563.4M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs November 2008
- −38%
#1 of 7 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Family Hits of December 2008?
Marley & Me (2008) leads with $255.7M, 45% of the total. The top 5 together took $562.9M, almost all of what the 7 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 Family Release of December 2008, 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 2008.
- 1 Dec 25, 2008 US and Canada: $143.2M Rest of the world: $112.6M Worldwide: $255.7M
- 2 Dec 25, 2008 US and Canada: $110.1M Rest of the world: $102.8M Worldwide: $212.9M
- 3 Dec 19, 2008 US and Canada: $50.9M Rest of the world: $36.1M Worldwide: $87M
- 4 Dec 17, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.6M
- 5 Dec 24, 2008 US and Canada: $141.1K Rest of the world: $575.2K Worldwide: $716.4K
- 6
Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008)Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $450.9K
Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Family, Action, Adventure $450.9K worldwide - 7
Unstable Fables: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2008)Dec 16, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.1K
Dec 16, 2008 · English · Animation, Family, Comedy $10.1K worldwide
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2008?
Of the top 7, The Tale of Despereaux (2008) earned the biggest share at home (59% in the US & Canada), while Free Style (2008) made 80% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $304.3M (54%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 7 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Marley & Me (2008) $255.7M $143.2M US & Canada · 56% $112.6M elsewhere · 44%
- 2 Bedtime Stories (2008) $212.9M $110.1M US & Canada · 52% $102.8M elsewhere · 48%
- 3 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $87M $50.9M US & Canada · 59% $36.1M elsewhere · 41%
- 4 Trouble at Timpetill (2008) $6.6M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Free Style (2008) $716.4K $141.1K US & Canada · 20% $575.2K elsewhere · 80%
- 6 Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008) $450.9K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Unstable Fables: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2008) $10.1K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of December 2008 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 52 (Dec 21–27) took $469.3M, led by Marley & Me (2008). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 30–Dec 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 7–13 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 14–20 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $94M The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 21–27 Marley & Me (2008) $469.3M Marley & Me (2008)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 28–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 2008 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2006 earned the most: $1.2B from 10 films, led by Night at the Museum (2006). December 2008 took $563.4M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1999 2 films | 2 | $387.6M | – | Stuart Little (1999) $300.1M |
| December 2000 5 films · −54% | 5 | $179.1M | −54% | The Emperor's New Groove (2000) $169.7M |
| December 2001 7 films · −36% | 7 | $115.4M | −36% | Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001) $103M |
| December 2002 3 films · −8% | 3 | $105.8M | −8% | The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) $60.7M |
| December 2003 8 films · +220% | 8 | $339M | +220% | Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) $190.5M |
| December 2004 6 films · −23% | 6 | $262.1M | −23% | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) $211.5M |
| December 2005 6 films · +277% | 6 | $987.2M | +277% | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) $745M |
| December 2006 10 films · +18% | 10 | $1.2B | +18% | Night at the Museum (2006) $574.5M |
| December 2007 11 films · −23% | 11 | $898.1M | −23% | The Golden Compass (2007) $372.2M |
| December 2008 7 films · −37% | 7 | $563.4M | −37% | Marley & Me (2008) $255.7M |
Archive
Family Box Office in 2008, Month by Month
The months of 2008 with their totals: June leads with $1.2B, led by Kung Fu Panda (2008).
- January $44M #1 Kabei: Our Mother (2008)
- February $174.2M #1 The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
- March $404.1M #1 Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- April $105.7M #1 Nim's Island (2008)
- May $537.7M #1 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
- June $1.2B #1 Kung Fu Panda (2008)
- July $408.2M #1 Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
- August $62.4M #1 Fly Me to the Moon 3D (2008)
- September $86.3M #1 Igor (2008)
- October $431.6M #1 High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
- November $914.3M #1 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- December $563.4M #1 Marley & Me (2008)
FAQ
Family Box Office December 2008: 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 7 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing family movie in December 2008?
Marley & Me (2008) leads with $255.7M worldwide, $143.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Bedtime Stories (2008) at $212.9M and The Tale of Despereaux (2008) at $87M.
How much did family movies released in December 2008 earn?
7 family films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $563.4M in all, or $80.5M per film on average. November 2008 releases took $914.3M.
How many family movies released in December 2008 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Marley & Me (2008) with $255.7M.
How is the December 2008 family 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 2008. 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 2008 family 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.