#1 of 8 #1 sci-fi movie of December 2023
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)
2023 · Action, Adventure
$440.2M worldwide · 61% of the chart's total
$124.5M US & Canada · 28% $315.7M elsewhere · 72%
Sci-Fi box office · December 2023
Sci-Fi Box Office, December 2023: Top-Grossing Releases
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in December 2023, with $440.2M worldwide, ahead of Poor Things (2023) at $117.6M and Godzilla Minus One (2023) at $113.9M. 8 sci-fi films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $722.9M in all, 32% of it from the US & Canada. 3 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 98% on November 2023, whose releases took $365.2M. By language, English leads with $570M across 3 sci-fi releases.
- December 2023 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $722.9M
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs November 2023
- +98%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of December 2023?
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) leads with $440.2M, 61% of the total. The top 5 together took $714.1M, 99% of what all 8 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 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 Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)Dec 22, 2023 US and Canada: $124.5M Rest of the world: $315.7M Worldwide: $440.2M
Dec 22, 2023 · English · Action, Adventure, Fantasy $440.2M worldwide - 2 Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: $34.6M Rest of the world: $83.1M Worldwide: $117.6M
- 3 Dec 1, 2023 US and Canada: $57.1M Rest of the world: $56.8M Worldwide: $113.9M
- 4 Dec 8, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $30.1M
- 5 Dec 1, 2023 US and Canada: $12.1M Rest of the world: $120.4K Worldwide: $12.2M
- 6
Rafadan Tayfa 4: Hayrimatör (2023)Dec 21, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.8M
Dec 21, 2023 · Turkish · Family, Adventure, Sci-Fi $8.8M worldwide - 7
Dec 30, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $41K - 8
Dec 5, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 2023?
Of the top 8, The Shift (2023) earned the biggest share at home (99% in the US & Canada), while Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) made 72% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $228.3M (32%) came from the US & Canada. 4 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) $440.2M $124.5M US & Canada · 28% $315.7M elsewhere · 72%
- 2 Poor Things (2023) $117.6M $34.6M US & Canada · 29% $83.1M elsewhere · 71%
- 3 Godzilla Minus One (2023) $113.9M $57.1M US & Canada · 50% $56.8M elsewhere · 50%
- 4 Concrete Utopia (2023) $30.1M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 The Shift (2023) $12.2M $12.1M US & Canada · 99% $120.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 Rafadan Tayfa 4: Hayrimatör (2023) $8.8M No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 If You Are the One 3 (2023) $41K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 Slyth: The Hunt Saga (2023) $10K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of December 2023 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 17–23) took $449M, led by Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 26–Dec 2 Godzilla Minus One (2023) $126.2M Godzilla Minus One (2023)
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 3–9 Poor Things (2023) $147.7M Poor Things (2023)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 10–16 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 17–23 Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) $449M Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 24–30 If You Are the One 3 (2023) $41K If You Are the One 3 (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 2022 earned the most: $2.4B from 4 films, led by Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). December 2023 took $722.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2014 2 films | 2 | $100.4M | – | PK (2014) $100.4M |
| December 2015 8 films · +2148% | 8 | $2.3B | +2148% | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) $2.1B |
| December 2016 5 films · −29% | 5 | $1.6B | −29% | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) $1.1B |
| December 2017 8 films · −12% | 8 | $1.4B | −12% | Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) $1.3B |
| December 2018 8 films · +49% | 8 | $2.1B | +49% | Aquaman (2018) $1.2B |
| December 2019 11 films · −39% | 11 | $1.3B | −39% | Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) $1.1B |
| December 2020 5 films · −95% | 5 | $68.3M | −95% | The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (2020) $68M |
| December 2021 8 films · +2952% | 8 | $2.1B | +2952% | Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) $1.9B |
| December 2022 4 films · +13% | 4 | $2.4B | +13% | Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) $2.3B |
| December 2023 8 films · −69% | 8 | $722.9M | −69% | Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) $440.2M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Sci-Fi Movies Speak in December 2023?
English-language sci-fi films took $570M across 3 films, 79% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language sci-fi films ($113.9M) and Korean-language sci-fi films ($30.1M).
December 2023 Sci-Fi Box Office by Language
- English $570M3 films · #1 Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)
-
Japanese $113.9M1 film · #1 Godzilla Minus One (2023) -
Korean $30.1M1 film · #1 Concrete Utopia (2023) - Turkish $8.8M1 film · #1 Rafadan Tayfa 4: Hayrimatör (2023)
-
Chinese $41K1 film · #1 If You Are the One 3 (2023) -
Thai $10K1 film · #1 Slyth: The Hunt Saga (2023)
Archive
Sci-Fi Box Office in 2023, Month by Month
The months of 2023 with their totals: May leads with $870.7M, led by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
- January $838.5M #1 The Wandering Earth II (2023)
- February $476.6M #1 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
- March $99.6M #1 65 (2023)
- April $1.1M #1 To Me, The One Who Loved You (2023)
- May $870.7M #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- June $718.4M #1 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
- July $3.3M #1 Kamen Rider Geats: 4 Aces and the Black Fox (2023)
- August $534.8M #1 Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
- September $109.2M #1 The Creator (2023)
- October $1.4M #1 The Mill (2023)
- November $365.2M #1 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
- December $722.9M #1 Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)
FAQ
Sci-Fi 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 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in December 2023?
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) leads with $440.2M worldwide, $124.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Poor Things (2023) at $117.6M and Godzilla Minus One (2023) at $113.9M.
How much did sci-fi movies released in December 2023 earn?
8 sci-fi films released in December 2023 report a worldwide gross, $722.9M in all, or $90.4M per film on average. November 2023 releases took $365.2M.
How many sci-fi movies released in December 2023 made $1 billion?
None. 3 films crossed $100 million, led by Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023) with $440.2M.
How is the December 2023 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 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 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.