#1 of 3 #1 sci-fi movie of December 1988
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
1988 · Sci-Fi, Comedy
$13.9M worldwide · 53% of the chart's total
$13.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Sci-Fi box office · December 1988
Sci-Fi Box Office, December 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in December 1988, with $13.9M worldwide, ahead of Young Einstein (1988) at $11.5M and Watchers (1988) at $940.2K. 3 sci-fi films released in December 1988 report a worldwide gross, $26.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- December 1988 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $26.3M
- My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), the #1
- $13.9M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of December 1988?
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) leads with $13.9M, 53% of the total. The top 3 together took $26.3M, 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 Sci-Fi Release of December 1988, 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 1988.
- 1 Dec 9, 1988 US and Canada: $13.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.9M
- 2 Dec 15, 1988 US and Canada: $11.5M Rest of the world: $1.3K Worldwide: $11.5M
- 3 Dec 2, 1988 US and Canada: $940.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $940.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1988?
Of the top 3, My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Young Einstein (1988) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $26.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) $13.9M $13.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Young Einstein (1988) $11.5M $11.5M US & Canada · 100% $1.3K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Watchers (1988) $940.2K $940.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 50 (Dec 4–10) took $13.9M, led by My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 27–Dec 3 Watchers (1988) $940.2K Watchers (1988)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 4–10 My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) $13.9M My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 11–17 Young Einstein (1988) $11.5M Young Einstein (1988)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 18–24 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 25–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1988 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1979 earned the most: $118.5M from 2 films, led by Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). December 1988 took $26.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1979 2 films | 2 | $118.5M | – | Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M |
| December 1980 2 films · −60% | 2 | $47M | −60% | Flash Gordon (1980) $27.2M |
| December 1981 1 film · −44% | 1 | $26.2M | −44% | Modern Problems (1981) $26.2M |
| December 1982 1 film · +4% | 1 | $27.2M | +4% | Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) $27.2M |
| December 1983 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| December 1984 4 films | 4 | $107.4M | – | 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) $40.4M |
| December 1985 2 films · −79% | 2 | $22.3M | −79% | Enemy Mine (1985) $12.3M |
| December 1986 2 films · +76% | 2 | $39.1M | +76% | Little Shop of Horrors (1986) $39.1M |
| December 1987 5 films · +79% | 5 | $70.1M | +79% | *batteries not included (1987) $65.1M |
| December 1988 3 films · −62% | 3 | $26.3M | −62% | My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) $13.9M |
Archive
Sci-Fi Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: November leads with $38.5M, led by Cocoon: The Return (1988).
- January $9.2M #1 Return of the Living Dead II (1988)
- February No grosses
- March $190.4K #1 Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)
- April $3.8M #1 Critters 2 (1988)
- May $84.6K #1 Hanussen (1988)
- June No grosses
- July $12.6M #1 Phantasm II (1988)
- August $15.1M #1 The Blob (1988)
- September $1.1M #1 Miracle Mile (1988)
- October $32.2M #1 Alien Nation (1988)
- November $38.5M #1 Cocoon: The Return (1988)
- December $26.3M #1 My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
FAQ
Sci-Fi Box Office December 1988: 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 sci-fi movie in December 1988?
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) leads with $13.9M worldwide, $13.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Young Einstein (1988) at $11.5M and Watchers (1988) at $940.2K.
How much did sci-fi movies released in December 1988 earn?
3 sci-fi films released in December 1988 report a worldwide gross, $26.3M in all, or $8.8M per film on average.
How many sci-fi movies released in December 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), earned $13.9M.
How is the December 1988 sci-fi 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 1988. 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 1988 sci-fi 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.