#1 of 5 #1 sci-fi movie of December 2009
2009 · Action, Adventure
$2.9B worldwide · 99% of the chart's total
$785.2M US & Canada · 27% $2.1B elsewhere · 73%
Sci-Fi box office · December 2009
Sci-Fi Box Office, December 2009: Top-Grossing Releases
Avatar (2009) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in December 2009, with $2.9B worldwide, ahead of Black Lightning (2009) at $21M and Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009) at $6.2M. 5 sci-fi films released in December 2009 report a worldwide gross, $3B in all, 27% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion. That is 3.2 times the total of November 2009, whose releases took $935.5M. By language, English leads with $2.9B across 1 sci-fi release.
- December 2009 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $3B
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs November 2009
- ×3.2
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of December 2009?
Avatar (2009) leads with $2.9B, 99% of the total. The top 5 together took $3B, almost all of what the 5 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 Sci-Fi Release of December 2009, 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 2009.
- 1 Dec 18, 2009 US and Canada: $785.2M Rest of the world: $2.1B Worldwide: $2.9B
- 2 Dec 28, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21M
- 3 Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009)Dec 12, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.2M
Dec 12, 2009 · Japanese · Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action $6.2M worldwide - 4 Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection (2009)Dec 12, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.3M Dec 12, 2009 · Japanese · Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure $4.3M worldwide
- 5 Dec 9, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.7M
By release week
Which Week of December 2009 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 13–19) took $2.9B, led by Avatar (2009). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 29–Dec 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 6–12 Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009) $12.2M Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 13–19 Avatar (2009) $2.9B Avatar (2009)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 20–26 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 27–31 Black Lightning (2009) $21M Black Lightning (2009)
Earlier years
How Does December 2009 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 2009 earned the most: $3B from 5 films, led by Avatar (2009).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2000 1 film | 1 | $73.2M | – | Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) $73.2M |
| December 2001 3 films · +320% | 3 | $307.4M | +320% | Vanilla Sky (2001) $203.4M |
| December 2002 3 films · −76% | 3 | $73.2M | −76% | Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) $67.3M |
| December 2003 3 films · +75% | 3 | $128.4M | +75% | Paycheck (2003) $117.2M |
| December 2004 3 films · −99% | 3 | $667.4K | −99% | Rottweiler (2004) $270.4K |
| December 2005 2 films · +8089% | 2 | $54.7M | +8089% | Æon Flux (2005) $53.3M |
| December 2006 6 films · +40% | 6 | $76.5M | +40% | Children of Men (2006) $70.6M |
| December 2007 2 films · +835% | 2 | $715.7M | +835% | I Am Legend (2007) $585.4M |
| December 2008 5 films · −64% | 5 | $257.3M | −64% | The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) $233.1M |
| December 2009 5 films · +1049% | 5 | $3B | +1049% | Avatar (2009) $2.9B |
Archive
Sci-Fi Box Office in 2009, Month by Month
The months of 2009 with their totals: December leads with $3B, led by Avatar (2009).
- January $40.7M #1 20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope (2009)
- February $64.9M #1 Push (2009)
- March $858.1M #1 Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
- April $58.1M #1 Dragonball: Evolution (2009)
- May $1.1B #1 Star Trek (2009)
- June $914.8M #1 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- July $64.5M #1 Aliens in the Attic (2009)
- August $581.8M #1 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
- September $236.2M #1 Surrogates (2009)
- October $42.1M #1 Astro Boy (2009)
- November $935.5M #1 2012 (2009)
- December $3B #1 Avatar (2009)
FAQ
Sci-Fi Box Office December 2009: 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 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in December 2009?
Avatar (2009) leads with $2.9B worldwide, $785.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Black Lightning (2009) at $21M and Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie (2009) at $6.2M.
How much did sci-fi movies released in December 2009 earn?
5 sci-fi films released in December 2009 report a worldwide gross, $3B in all, or $591.4M per film on average. November 2009 releases took $935.5M.
How many sci-fi movies released in December 2009 made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: Avatar (2009). 1 crossed $100 million.
How is the December 2009 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 2009. 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 2009 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.