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English box office · December 1979

English Box Office, December 1979: Top-Grossing Releases

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in December 1979, with $106.3M worldwide, ahead of 1941 (1979) at $92.5M and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M. 12 English-language films released in December 1979 report a worldwide gross, $561.8M in all, 89% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. By genre, Comedy leads with $298.3M across 6 English releases.

December 1979 releases with a gross
12
combined worldwide
$561.8M
film crossed $100M
1
earned in the US & Canada
89%
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) movie poster #1 of 12
#1 English-language movie of December 1979

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

1979 · Drama

$106.3M worldwide · 19% of the chart's total

$106.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest English Hits of December 1979?

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) leads with $106.3M, 19% of the total. The top 5 together took $416.9M, 74% of what all 12 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $106.3M Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
    $106.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 1941 (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $92.5M 1941 (1979)
    $31.8M US & Canada · 34% $60.7M elsewhere · 66%
  3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $82.7M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Jerk (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $73.7M The Jerk (1979)
    $73.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. The Electric Horseman (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $61.8M The Electric Horseman (1979)
    $61.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every English Release of December 1979, 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 1979.

  1. 1 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) movie poster
    Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Dec 19, 1979 · Drama $106.3M worldwide
    Dec 19, 1979 US and Canada: $106.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $106.3M
  2. 2 1941 (1979) movie poster
    1941 (1979) Dec 14, 1979 · Action, Comedy $92.5M worldwide
    Dec 14, 1979 US and Canada: $31.8M Rest of the world: $60.7M Worldwide: $92.5M
  3. 3 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster
    Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Dec 7, 1979 · Adventure, Sci-Fi $82.7M worldwide
    Dec 7, 1979 US and Canada: $82.6M Rest of the world: $72.1K Worldwide: $82.7M
  4. 4 The Jerk (1979) movie poster
    The Jerk (1979) Dec 14, 1979 · Comedy $73.7M worldwide
    Dec 14, 1979 US and Canada: $73.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $73.7M
  5. 5 The Electric Horseman (1979) movie poster
    The Electric Horseman (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Drama, Comedy $61.8M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $61.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $61.8M
  6. 6 All That Jazz (1979) movie poster
    All That Jazz (1979) Dec 20, 1979 · Drama, Fantasy $37.8M worldwide
    Dec 20, 1979 US and Canada: $37.8M Rest of the world: $1.1K Worldwide: $37.8M
  7. 7 The Black Hole (1979) movie poster
    The Black Hole (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Action, Sci-Fi $35.8M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $35.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.8M
  8. 8 Being There (1979) movie poster
    Being There (1979) Dec 19, 1979 · Drama, Comedy $30.2M worldwide
    Dec 19, 1979 US and Canada: $30.2M Rest of the world: $1.9K Worldwide: $30.2M
  9. 9 Going in Style (1979) movie poster
    Going in Style (1979) Dec 25, 1979 · Drama, Comedy $26.9M worldwide
    Dec 25, 1979 US and Canada: $26.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.9M
  10. 10 Roller Boogie (1979) movie poster
    Roller Boogie (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Drama, Comedy $13.3M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $13.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.3M
  11. 11 Beyond the Reef (1979) movie poster
    Beyond the Reef (1979) Dec 20, 1979 · Adventure, Romance $549.9K worldwide
    Dec 20, 1979 US and Canada: $547.5K Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $549.9K
  12. 12 The Human Factor (1979) movie poster
    The Human Factor (1979) Dec 18, 1979 · Drama, Thriller $376.1K worldwide
    Dec 18, 1979 US and Canada: $376.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $376.1K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in December 1979?

Of the top 10, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while 1941 (1979) made 66% of its gross abroad. Across all 12 films, $501M (89%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $106.3M
    $106.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 1941 (1979) $92.5M
    $31.8M US & Canada · 34% $60.7M elsewhere · 66%
  3. 3 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Jerk (1979) $73.7M
    $73.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 The Electric Horseman (1979) $61.8M
    $61.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 All That Jazz (1979) $37.8M
    $37.8M US & Canada · 100% $1.1K elsewhere · <1%
  7. 7 The Black Hole (1979) $35.8M
    $35.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Being There (1979) $30.2M
    $30.2M US & Canada · 100% $1.9K elsewhere · <1%
  9. 9 Going in Style (1979) $26.9M
    $26.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Roller Boogie (1979) $13.3M
    $13.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many December 1979 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 12 films crossed $100M and took $106.3M between them, 19% of the total. 2 films, 17% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $100M to $500M 1 film, 8% of the list $106.3M · 19% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 9 films, 75% of the list $454.6M · 81% of the gross
  • Under $10M 2 films, 17% of the list $926K · <1% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of December 1979 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 51 (Dec 16–22) took $286.1M, led by Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 48 Wk 48 Nov 25–Dec 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 2–8 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  3. Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 9–15 1941 (1979) $166.1M 1941 (1979)
  4. Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 16–22 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $286.1M Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
  5. Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 23–29 Going in Style (1979) $26.9M Going in Style (1979)
  6. Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 30–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does December 1979 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 1979 took $561.8M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
December 1970 7 films 7 $222.6M – 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
December 1979 12 films · +184% 12 $561.8M +184% Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $106.3M
By genre

Which English Genres Earned the Most in December 1979?

Comedy took $298.3M across 6 films, 53% of the total, ahead of Drama ($276.6M) and Action ($128.3M). A film counts once for each of its genres.

December 1979 English Box Office by Genre

  1. Comedy $298.3M
    6 films · #1 1941 (1979)
  2. Drama $276.6M
    7 films · #1 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
  3. Action $128.3M
    2 films · #1 1941 (1979)
  4. Sci-Fi $118.5M
    2 films · #1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  5. War $92.5M
    1 film · #1 1941 (1979)
  6. Adventure $83.2M
    2 films · #1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  7. Mystery $82.7M
    1 film · #1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  8. Romance $62.7M
    3 films · #1 The Electric Horseman (1979)
  9. Western $61.8M
    1 film · #1 The Electric Horseman (1979)
  10. Music $51.1M
    2 films · #1 All That Jazz (1979)
Archive

English Box Office in 1979, Month by Month

The months of 1979 with their totals: June leads with $671.1M, led by Moonraker (1979).

FAQ

English Box Office December 1979: 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 12 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in December 1979?

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) leads with $106.3M worldwide, $106.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come 1941 (1979) at $92.5M and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M.

How much did English-language movies released in December 1979 earn?

12 English-language films released in December 1979 report a worldwide gross, $561.8M in all, or $46.8M per film on average.

How many English-language movies released in December 1979 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) with $106.3M.

How much of the December 1979 English box office came from the US and Canada?

$501M of the $561.8M total, or 89%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 12 report no domestic figure.

How is the December 1979 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 1979. 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 1979 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.