#1 of 5 #1 thriller movie of December 1990
1990 · Action, Thriller
$202M worldwide · 51% of the chart's total
$91.5M US & Canada · 45% $110.5M elsewhere · 55%
Thriller box office · December 1990
Thriller Box Office, December 1990: Top-Grossing Releases
Kindergarten Cop (1990) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in December 1990, with $202M worldwide, ahead of The Godfather: Part III (1990) at $136.9M and The Russia House (1990) at $23M. 5 thriller films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $396.9M in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 118% on November 1990, whose releases took $181.7M. By language, English leads with $396.9M across 5 thriller releases.
- December 1990 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $396.9M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs November 1990
- +118%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of December 1990?
Kindergarten Cop (1990) leads with $202M, 51% of the total. The top 5 together took $396.9M, 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 Thriller Release of December 1990, 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 1990.
- 1 Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $91.5M Rest of the world: $110.5M Worldwide: $202M
- 2 Dec 25, 1990 US and Canada: $66.8M Rest of the world: $70.1M Worldwide: $136.9M
- 3 Dec 21, 1990 US and Canada: $23M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23M
- 4 Dec 7, 1990 US and Canada: $21.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.6M
- 5 Dec 5, 1990 US and Canada: $13.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.4M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1990?
Of the top 5, The Russia House (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Kindergarten Cop (1990) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $216.3M (54%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M $91.5M US & Canada · 45% $110.5M elsewhere · 55%
- 2 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M $66.8M US & Canada · 49% $70.1M elsewhere · 51%
- 3 The Russia House (1990) $23M $23M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Rookie (1990) $21.6M $21.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Grifters (1990) $13.4M $13.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1990 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 16–22) took $225M, led by Kindergarten Cop (1990). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 25–Dec 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 2–8 The Rookie (1990) $35.1M The Rookie (1990)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 9–15 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 16–22 Kindergarten Cop (1990) $225M Kindergarten Cop (1990)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 23–29 The Godfather: Part III (1990) $136.9M The Godfather: Part III (1990)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 30–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1990 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1990 earned the most: $396.9M from 5 films, led by Kindergarten Cop (1990).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1981 5 films | 5 | $117.4M | – | Absence of Malice (1981) $40.7M |
| December 1982 1 film · −33% | 1 | $78.9M | −33% | 48 Hrs. (1982) $78.9M |
| December 1983 5 films · +90% | 5 | $149.7M | +90% | Sudden Impact (1983) $67.6M |
| December 1984 4 films · +154% | 4 | $380.7M | +154% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| December 1985 2 films · −91% | 2 | $34.4M | −91% | Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) $19.7M |
| December 1986 1 film · −27% | 1 | $25.1M | −27% | The Morning After (1986) $25.1M |
| December 1987 2 films · +131% | 2 | $58.2M | +131% | Throw Momma from the Train (1987) $57.9M |
| December 1988 3 films · −7% | 3 | $54.3M | −7% | Tequila Sunrise (1988) $41.3M |
| December 1989 4 films · +323% | 4 | $229.9M | +323% | The War of the Roses (1989) $160.2M |
| December 1990 5 films · +73% | 5 | $396.9M | +73% | Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M |
Archive
Thriller Box Office in 1990, Month by Month
The months of 1990 with their totals: July leads with $1B, led by Ghost (1990).
- January $41M #1 Internal Affairs (1990)
- February $70.2M #1 Hard to Kill (1990)
- March $252.4M #1 The Hunt for Red October (1990)
- April $56.2M #1 The First Power (1990)
- May $16.3M #1 Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
- June $623.3M #1 Total Recall (1990)
- July $1B #1 Ghost (1990)
- August $127.6M #1 Flatliners (1990)
- September $84.6M #1 Pacific Heights (1990)
- October $67.1M #1 Marked for Death (1990)
- November $181.7M #1 Misery (1990)
- December $396.9M #1 Kindergarten Cop (1990)
FAQ
Thriller Box Office December 1990: 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 thriller movie in December 1990?
Kindergarten Cop (1990) leads with $202M worldwide, $91.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Godfather: Part III (1990) at $136.9M and The Russia House (1990) at $23M.
How much did thriller movies released in December 1990 earn?
5 thriller films released in December 1990 report a worldwide gross, $396.9M in all, or $79.4M per film on average. November 1990 releases took $181.7M.
How many thriller movies released in December 1990 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Kindergarten Cop (1990) with $202M.
How is the December 1990 thriller 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 1990. 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 1990 thriller 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.