#1 of 6 #1 romance movie of December 1998
1998 · Drama, Comedy
$289.3M worldwide · 53% of the chart's total
$100.3M US & Canada · 35% $189M elsewhere · 65%
Romance box office · December 1998
Romance Box Office, December 1998: Top-Grossing Releases
Shakespeare in Love (1998) is the highest-grossing romance movie released in December 1998, with $289.3M worldwide, ahead of You've Got Mail (1998) at $250.8M and Little Voice (1998) at $4.6M. 6 romance films released in December 1998 report a worldwide gross, $545.3M in all, 41% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 131% on November 1998, whose releases took $235.6M. By language, English leads with $545M across 5 romance releases.
- December 1998 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $545.3M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs November 1998
- +131%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Romance Hits of December 1998?
Shakespeare in Love (1998) leads with $289.3M, 53% of the total. The top 5 together took $545.2M, almost all of what the 6 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 Romance Release of December 1998, 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 1998.
- 1 Dec 11, 1998 US and Canada: $100.3M Rest of the world: $189M Worldwide: $289.3M
- 2 Dec 18, 1998 US and Canada: $115.8M Rest of the world: $135M Worldwide: $250.8M
- 3 Dec 4, 1998 US and Canada: $4.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.6M
- 4 Dec 25, 1998 US and Canada: $316K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $316K
- 5 Dec 30, 1998 US and Canada: $166.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $166.1K
- 6
Dec 23, 1998 US and Canada: $73.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $73.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1998?
Of the top 6, Little Voice (1998) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Shakespeare in Love (1998) made 65% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $221.3M (41%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M $100.3M US & Canada · 35% $189M elsewhere · 65%
- 2 You've Got Mail (1998) $250.8M $115.8M US & Canada · 46% $135M elsewhere · 54%
- 3 Little Voice (1998) $4.6M $4.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Under the Sun (1998) $316K $316K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Hi-Lo Country (1998) $166.1K $166.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Theory of Flight (1998) $73.2K $73.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1998 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 50 (Dec 6–12) took $289.3M, led by Shakespeare in Love (1998). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 Little Voice (1998) $4.6M Little Voice (1998)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M Shakespeare in Love (1998)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 You've Got Mail (1998) $250.8M You've Got Mail (1998)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 Under the Sun (1998) $389.3K Under the Sun (1998)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 The Hi-Lo Country (1998) $166.1K The Hi-Lo Country (1998)
Earlier years
How Does December 1998 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1997 earned the most: $2.6B from 8 films, led by Titanic (1997). December 1998 took $545.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1989 3 films | 3 | $96.2M | – | Always (1989) $74.1M |
| December 1990 8 films · +94% | 8 | $186.2M | +94% | Edward Scissorhands (1990) $86M |
| December 1991 4 films · −57% | 4 | $79.5M | −57% | The Prince of Tides (1991) $74.8M |
| December 1992 4 films · +114% | 4 | $170.3M | +114% | Forever Young (1992) $128M |
| December 1993 6 films · +64% | 6 | $279.1M | +64% | The Pelican Brief (1993) $195.3M |
| December 1994 7 films · −41% | 7 | $165.6M | −41% | The Jungle Book (1994) $52.4M |
| December 1995 7 films · +122% | 7 | $367.9M | +122% | Sense and Sensibility (1995) $134.6M |
| December 1996 10 films · +49% | 10 | $548.1M | +49% | Jerry Maguire (1996) $273.6M |
| December 1997 8 films · +376% | 8 | $2.6B | +376% | Titanic (1997) $2.3B |
| December 1998 6 films · −79% | 6 | $545.3M | −79% | Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M |
Archive
Romance Box Office in 1998, Month by Month
The months of 1998 with their totals: July leads with $1.3B, led by Armageddon (1998).
- January $57.5M #1 Great Expectations (1998)
- February $162M #1 The Wedding Singer (1998)
- March $2.1M #1 A Price Above Rubies (1998)
- April $257.6M #1 City of Angels (1998)
- May $331.3M #1 The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- June $276.2M #1 Six Days Seven Nights (1998)
- July $1.3B #1 Armageddon (1998)
- August $80.6M #1 How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- September $3.3M #1 Forever Love (1998)
- October $352.3M #1 Life Is Beautiful (1998)
- November $235.6M #1 Meet Joe Black (1998)
- December $545.3M #1 Shakespeare in Love (1998)
FAQ
Romance Box Office December 1998: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing romance movie in December 1998?
Shakespeare in Love (1998) leads with $289.3M worldwide, $100.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come You've Got Mail (1998) at $250.8M and Little Voice (1998) at $4.6M.
How much did romance movies released in December 1998 earn?
6 romance films released in December 1998 report a worldwide gross, $545.3M in all, or $90.9M per film on average. November 1998 releases took $235.6M.
How many romance movies released in December 1998 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Shakespeare in Love (1998) with $289.3M.
How is the December 1998 romance 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 1998. 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 1998 romance 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.