#1 of 8 #1 English-language movie of December 1978
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
1978 · Action, Comedy
$85.2M worldwide · 43% of the chart's total
$85.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
English box office · December 1978
English Box Office, December 1978: Top-Grossing Releases
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in December 1978, with $85.2M worldwide, ahead of The Deer Hunter (1978) at $49.1M and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) at $24.9M. 8 English-language films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $197.7M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 6.5 times the total of November 1978, whose releases took $30.5M. By genre, Action leads with $97.4M across 3 English releases.
- December 1978 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $197.7M
- Every Which Way But Loose (1978), the #1
- $85.2M
- vs November 1978
- ×6.5
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest English Hits of December 1978?
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) leads with $85.2M, 43% of the total. The top 5 together took $178.1M, 90% 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 English Release of December 1978, 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 1978.
- 1 Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $85.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $85.2M
- 2 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $49M Rest of the world: $101K Worldwide: $49.1M
- 3 Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $24.9M Rest of the world: $2.5K Worldwide: $24.9M
- 4 Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $11M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11M
- 5 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.9M
- 6
Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $7.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.3M - 7
Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.2M - 8
Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1978?
Of the top 8, Every Which Way But Loose (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Deer Hunter (1978) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $197.6M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $85.2M $85.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M $49M US & Canada · 100% $101K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) $24.9M $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Moment by Moment (1978) $11M $11M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Brink's Job (1978) $7.9M $7.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 King of the Gypsies (1978) $7.3M $7.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Force 10 from Navarone (1978) $7.2M $7.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Brass Target (1978) $5M $5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of December 1978 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 17–23) took $133.4M, led by Every Which Way But Loose (1978). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 26–Dec 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 3–9 The Deer Hunter (1978) $64.2M The Deer Hunter (1978)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 10–16 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 17–23 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $133.4M Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 24–30 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1978 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1973 earned the most: $728.3M from 8 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). December 1978 took $197.7M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1969 4 films | 4 | $23.3M | – | On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) $22.8M |
| December 1970 7 films · +855% | 7 | $222.6M | +855% | The Aristocats (1970) $191M |
| December 1971 5 films · −72% | 5 | $63M | −72% | Dirty Harry (1971) $36M |
| December 1972 3 films · +34% | 3 | $84.7M | +34% | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
| December 1973 8 films · +760% | 8 | $728.3M | +760% | The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M |
| December 1974 6 films · −60% | 6 | $289.8M | −60% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| December 1975 5 films · −74% | 5 | $75.2M | −74% | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) $50M |
| December 1976 6 films · +251% | 6 | $263.8M | +251% | A Star Is Born (1976) $80M |
| December 1977 5 films · +12% | 5 | $295M | +12% | Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M |
| December 1978 8 films · −33% | 8 | $197.7M | −33% | Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $85.2M |
By genre
Which English Genres Earned the Most in December 1978?
Action took $97.4M across 3 films, 49% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($93.1M) and Drama ($82.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres.
December 1978 English Box Office by Genre
-
Action $97.4M3 films · #1 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) -
Comedy $93.1M2 films · #1 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) -
Drama $82.5M5 films · #1 The Deer Hunter (1978) -
War $56.3M2 films · #1 The Deer Hunter (1978) -
Horror $24.9M1 film · #1 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) -
Sci-Fi $24.9M1 film · #1 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) -
Romance $11M1 film · #1 Moment by Moment (1978) -
Crime $7.9M1 film · #1 The Brink's Job (1978) -
History $7.9M1 film · #1 The Brink's Job (1978)
Archive
English Box Office in 1978, Month by Month
The months of 1978 with their totals: June leads with $633.3M, led by Grease (1978).
- January $495.4K #1 Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)
- February $68.3M #1 Coming Home (1978)
- March $69.4M #1 House Calls (1978)
- April $48.2M #1 F.I.S.T. (1978)
- May $31.1M #1 The Greek Tycoon (1978)
- June $633.3M #1 Grease (1978)
- July $200M #1 Hooper (1978)
- August $30.4M #1 Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- September $73.2M #1 Up in Smoke (1978)
- October $112.3M #1 Halloween (1978)
- November $30.5M #1 The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- December $197.7M #1 Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
FAQ
English Box Office December 1978: 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 English-language movie in December 1978?
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) leads with $85.2M worldwide, $85.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Deer Hunter (1978) at $49.1M and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) at $24.9M.
How much did English-language movies released in December 1978 earn?
8 English-language films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $197.7M in all, or $24.7M per film on average. November 1978 releases took $30.5M.
How many English-language movies released in December 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Every Which Way But Loose (1978), earned $85.2M.
How is the December 1978 English 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 1978. 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, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.
How often is the December 1978 English 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.