#1 of 3 #1 musical movie of December 2023
2023 · Adventure, Comedy
$634.5M worldwide · 89% of the chart's total
$218.4M US & Canada · 34% $416.1M elsewhere · 66%
Musical box office · December 2023
Musical Box Office, December 2023: Top-Grossing Releases
Wonka (2023) is the highest-grossing musical movie released in December 2023, with $634.5M worldwide, ahead of The Color Purple (2023) at $68.9M and Waitress: The Musical (2023) at $6.1M. 3 musical films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $709.5M in all, 40% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 163% on November 2023, whose releases took $269.8M.
- December 2023 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $709.5M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs November 2023
- +163%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Musical Hits of December 2023?
Wonka (2023) leads with $634.5M, 89% of the total. The top 3 together took $709.5M, almost all of what the 3 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Musical Release of December 2023, 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 2023.
- 1 Dec 15, 2023 US and Canada: $218.4M Rest of the world: $416.1M Worldwide: $634.5M
- 2 Dec 25, 2023 US and Canada: $60.6M Rest of the world: $8.3M Worldwide: $68.9M
- 3 Dec 7, 2023 US and Canada: $5.4M Rest of the world: $689.8K Worldwide: $6.1M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2023?
Of the top 3, Waitress: The Musical (2023) earned the biggest share at home (89% in the US & Canada), while Wonka (2023) made 66% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $284.4M (40%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Wonka (2023) $634.5M $218.4M US & Canada · 34% $416.1M elsewhere · 66%
- 2 The Color Purple (2023) $68.9M $60.6M US & Canada · 88% $8.3M elsewhere · 12%
- 3 Waitress: The Musical (2023) $6.1M $5.4M US & Canada · 89% $689.8K elsewhere · 11%
By release week
Which Week of December 2023 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 50 (Dec 10–16) took $634.5M, led by Wonka (2023). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 26–Dec 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 3–9 Waitress: The Musical (2023) $6.1M Waitress: The Musical (2023)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 10–16 Wonka (2023) $634.5M Wonka (2023)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 17–23 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 24–30 The Color Purple (2023) $68.9M The Color Purple (2023)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 2023 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2016 earned the most: $1.1B from 2 films, led by Sing (2016). December 2023 took $709.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2014 2 films | 2 | $349.8M | – | Into the Woods (2014) $212.9M |
| December 2015 1 film · −99% | 1 | $2.7M | −99% | Chi-Raq (2015) $2.7M |
| December 2016 2 films · +41946% | 2 | $1.1B | +41946% | Sing (2016) $634.3M |
| December 2017 1 film · −59% | 1 | $469.1M | −59% | The Greatest Showman (2017) $469.1M |
| December 2018 2 films · −100% | 2 | $1.8M | −100% | Vox Lux (2018) $1.4M |
| December 2019 4 films · +5960% | 4 | $111.7M | +5960% | Cats (2019) $75.6M |
| December 2020 2 films · −100% | 2 | $201.6K | −100% | The Prom (2020) $187.4K |
| December 2021 3 films · +44297% | 3 | $89.5M | +44297% | West Side Story (2021) $76M |
| December 2022 1 film · −58% | 1 | $37.3M | −58% | Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical (2022) $37.3M |
| December 2023 3 films · +1803% | 3 | $709.5M | +1803% | Wonka (2023) $634.5M |
Archive
Musical Box Office in 2023, Month by Month
The months of 2023 with their totals: December leads with $709.5M, led by Wonka (2023).
- January No grosses
- February $567.2K #1 Seriously Red (2023)
- March $568.3K #1 The Magic Flute (2023)
- April $384K #1 Carmen (2023)
- May $569.7M #1 The Little Mermaid (2023)
- June No grosses
- July No grosses
- August No grosses
- September $3.6K #1 Hello Dankness (2023)
- October $1.5M #1 Dicks: The Musical (2023)
- November $269.8M #1 Wish (2023)
- December $709.5M #1 Wonka (2023)
FAQ
Musical Box Office December 2023: 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing musical movie in December 2023?
Wonka (2023) leads with $634.5M worldwide, $218.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Color Purple (2023) at $68.9M and Waitress: The Musical (2023) at $6.1M.
How much did musical movies released in December 2023 earn?
3 musical films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $709.5M in all, or $236.5M per film on average. November 2023 releases took $269.8M.
How many musical movies released in December 2023 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Wonka (2023) with $634.5M.
How is the December 2023 musical 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 2023. 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 2023 musical 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.