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Fantasy box office · December 2008

Fantasy Box Office, December 2008: Top-Grossing Releases

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) is the highest-grossing fantasy movie released in December 2008, with $335.8M worldwide, ahead of Bedtime Stories (2008) at $212.9M and The Tale of Despereaux (2008) at $87M. 12 fantasy films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $727M in all, 43% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 1% on November 2008, whose releases took $723M. By language, English leads with $687.9M across 6 fantasy releases.

December 2008 releases with a gross
12
combined worldwide
$727M
films crossed $100M
2
vs November 2008
+1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Fantasy Hits of December 2008?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) leads with $335.8M, 46% of the total. The top 5 together took $697M, 96% of what all 12 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) movie poster Number 1
    $335.8M The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
    $127.5M US & Canada · 38% $208.3M elsewhere · 62%
  2. Bedtime Stories (2008) movie poster Number 2
    $212.9M Bedtime Stories (2008)
    $110.1M US & Canada · 52% $102.8M elsewhere · 48%
  3. The Tale of Despereaux (2008) movie poster Number 3
    $87M The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
    $50.9M US & Canada · 59% $36.1M elsewhere · 41%
  4. The Spirit (2008) movie poster Number 4
    $39.2M The Spirit (2008)
    $19.8M US & Canada · 51% $19.4M elsewhere · 49%
  5. A.R.O.G (2008) movie poster Number 5
    $22.2M A.R.O.G (2008)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Fantasy 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. 1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) movie poster
    The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) Dec 25, 2008 · English · Drama, Mystery, Fantasy $335.8M worldwide
    Dec 25, 2008 US and Canada: $127.5M Rest of the world: $208.3M Worldwide: $335.8M
  2. 2 Bedtime Stories (2008) movie poster
    Bedtime Stories (2008) Dec 25, 2008 · English · Fantasy, Comedy, Family $212.9M worldwide
    Dec 25, 2008 US and Canada: $110.1M Rest of the world: $102.8M Worldwide: $212.9M
  3. 3 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) movie poster
    The Tale of Despereaux (2008) Dec 19, 2008 · English · Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy $87M worldwide
    Dec 19, 2008 US and Canada: $50.9M Rest of the world: $36.1M Worldwide: $87M
  4. 4 The Spirit (2008) movie poster
    The Spirit (2008) Dec 25, 2008 · English · Action, Drama, Thriller $39.2M worldwide
    Dec 25, 2008 US and Canada: $19.8M Rest of the world: $19.4M Worldwide: $39.2M
  5. 5 A.R.O.G (2008) movie poster
    A.R.O.G (2008) Dec 5, 2008 · Turkish · Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy $22.2M worldwide
    Dec 5, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $22.2M
  6. 6 Dragon Hunter (2008) movie poster
    Dragon Hunter (2008) Dec 1, 2008 · English · Fantasy $12.4M worldwide
    Dec 1, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $12.4M
  7. 7 Trouble at Timpetill (2008) movie poster
    Trouble at Timpetill (2008) Dec 17, 2008 · French · Fantasy, Family, Adventure $6.6M worldwide
    Dec 17, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.6M
  8. 8 Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe! (2008) movie poster
    Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe! (2008) Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Comedy, Fantasy, Animation $5.7M worldwide
    Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.7M
  9. 9 Spooky Kitaro: Japan Explodes!! (2008) movie poster
    Spooky Kitaro: Japan Explodes!! (2008) Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Fantasy, Animation, Action $3.2M worldwide
    Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.2M
  10. 10 Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008) movie poster
    Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008) Dec 11, 2008 · Malay · Action, Comedy, Fantasy $945.8K worldwide
    Dec 11, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $945.8K
  11. 11 Delgo (2008) movie poster
    Delgo (2008) Dec 12, 2008 · English · Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy $694.8K worldwide
    Dec 12, 2008 US and Canada: $694.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $694.8K
  12. 12 Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008) movie poster
    Tomica Hero: Rescue Force Explosive Movie: Rescue the Mach Train! (2008) Dec 20, 2008 · Japanese · Family, Action, Adventure $450.9K worldwide
    Dec 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $450.9K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in December 2008?

Of the top 10, The Tale of Despereaux (2008) earned the biggest share at home (59% in the US & Canada), while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) made 62% of its gross abroad. Across all 12 films, $309M (43%) came from the US & Canada. 6 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) $335.8M
    $127.5M US & Canada · 38% $208.3M elsewhere · 62%
  2. 2 Bedtime Stories (2008) $212.9M
    $110.1M US & Canada · 52% $102.8M elsewhere · 48%
  3. 3 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $87M
    $50.9M US & Canada · 59% $36.1M elsewhere · 41%
  4. 4 The Spirit (2008) $39.2M
    $19.8M US & Canada · 51% $19.4M elsewhere · 49%
  5. 5 A.R.O.G (2008) $22.2M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Dragon Hunter (2008) $12.4M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 Trouble at Timpetill (2008) $6.6M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe! (2008) $5.7M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 Spooky Kitaro: Japan Explodes!! (2008) $3.2M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  10. 10 Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008) $945.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands

How Many December 2008 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

2 of 12 films crossed $100M and took $548.7M between them, 75% of the total. 6 films, 50% 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, 17% of the list $548.7M · 75% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 4 films, 33% of the list $160.7M · 22% of the gross
  • Under $10M 6 films, 50% of the list $17.6M · 2% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of December 2008 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 52 (Dec 21–27) took $587.8M, led by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 30–Dec 6 A.R.O.G (2008) $34.6M A.R.O.G (2008)
  2. Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 7–13 Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008) $1.6M Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008)
  3. Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 14–20 The Tale of Despereaux (2008) $102.9M The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
  4. Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 21–27 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) $587.8M The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
  5. 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 2003 earned the most: $1.4B from 7 films, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). December 2008 took $727M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
December 1999 4 films 4 $676.6M – Stuart Little (1999) $300.1M
December 2000 5 films · +35% 5 $916.5M +35% What Women Want (2000) $374.1M
December 2001 9 films · +8% 9 $987.8M +8% The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $888.5M
December 2002 4 films · −83% 4 $167.2M −83% The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) $60.7M
December 2003 7 films · +740% 7 $1.4B +740% The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B
December 2004 8 films · −65% 8 $492.2M −65% Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) $211.5M
December 2005 6 films · +58% 6 $779.2M +58% The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) $745M
December 2006 8 films · +50% 8 $1.2B +50% Night at the Museum (2006) $574.5M
December 2007 6 films · −27% 6 $852.6M −27% The Golden Compass (2007) $372.2M
December 2008 12 films · −15% 12 $727M −15% The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) $335.8M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Fantasy Movies Speak in December 2008?

English-language fantasy films took $687.9M across 6 films, 95% of the total, ahead of Turkish-language fantasy films ($22.2M) and Japanese-language fantasy films ($9.3M).

December 2008 Fantasy Box Office by Language

  1. English $687.9M
    6 films · #1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
  2. Turkish $22.2M
    1 film · #1 A.R.O.G (2008)
  3. Japanese $9.3M
    3 films · #1 Tamagotchi: Happiest Story in the Universe! (2008)
  4. French $6.6M
    1 film · #1 Trouble at Timpetill (2008)
  5. Malay $945.8K
    1 film · #1 Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam (2008)
Archive

Fantasy Box Office in 2008, Month by Month

The months of 2008 with their totals: July leads with $852.3M, led by Hancock (2008).

FAQ

Fantasy 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 12 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing fantasy movie in December 2008?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) leads with $335.8M worldwide, $127.5M 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 fantasy movies released in December 2008 earn?

12 fantasy films released in December 2008 report a worldwide gross, $727M in all, or $60.6M per film on average. November 2008 releases took $723M.

How many fantasy movies released in December 2008 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) with $335.8M.

How much of the December 2008 Fantasy box office came from the US and Canada?

$309M of the $727M total, or 43%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 7 films of the 12 report no domestic figure.

How is the December 2008 fantasy 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 fantasy 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.