#1 of 8 #1 movie of December 1972
1972 · Action, Adventure
$84.6M worldwide · 100% of the chart's total
$84.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · December 1972
December 1972 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1972, with $84.6M worldwide, ahead of Victoria No. 203 (1972) at $201.2K and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) at $84.8K. 8 films released in December 1972 report a worldwide gross, $85M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. By genre, Drama leads with $84.9M across 5 releases.
- December 1972 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $85M
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972), the #1
- $84.6M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1972?
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) leads with $84.6M, 100% of the total. The top 5 together took $84.9M, almost all of what the 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 Release of December 1972, 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 1972.
- 1 Dec 13, 1972 US and Canada: $84.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $84.6M
- 2 Dec 8, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $201.2K
- 3 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972)Dec 20, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $84.8K
Dec 20, 1972 · English · Drama $84.8K worldwide - 4 Dec 29, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $37.8K
- 5 Dec 21, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $37.1K
- 6
Dec 17, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $22.8K - 7
Dec 26, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.2K - 8
Dec 13, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.6K
By release week
Which Week of December 1972 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 10–16) took $84.6M, led by The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 26–Dec 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 3–9 Victoria No. 203 (1972) $201.2K Victoria No. 203 (1972)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 10–16 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 17–23 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) $144.7K The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 24–30 Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) $54K Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
- Week 54 Wk 54 Dec 31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1972 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1970 earned the most: $222.9M from 11 films, led by The Aristocats (1970). December 1972 took $85M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1963 2 films | 2 | $12.2M | – | The Sword in the Stone (1963) $12M |
| December 1964 4 films · +497% | 4 | $72.7M | +497% | My Fair Lady (1964) $72.7M |
| December 1965 7 films · +142% | 7 | $176M | +142% | Doctor Zhivago (1965) $112.1M |
| December 1966 8 films · −100% | 8 | $379K | −100% | Andrei Rublev (1966) $181K |
| December 1967 7 films · +49256% | 7 | $187M | +49256% | The Graduate (1967) $105M |
| December 1968 4 films · −94% | 4 | $11.7M | −94% | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) $7.5M |
| December 1969 5 films · +99% | 5 | $23.3M | +99% | On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) $22.8M |
| December 1970 11 films · +856% | 11 | $222.9M | +856% | The Aristocats (1970) $191M |
| December 1971 6 films · −67% | 6 | $73.6M | −67% | Dirty Harry (1971) $36M |
| December 1972 8 films · +15% | 8 | $85M | +15% | The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 1972?
Drama took $84.9M across 5 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($84.6M) and Action ($84.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $84.7M across 3 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Hindi-language films ($201.2K) and German-language films ($37.8K).
December 1972 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $84.9M5 films · #1 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -
Adventure $84.6M2 films · #1 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -
Action $84.6M2 films · #1 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -
Thriller $84.6M2 films · #1 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -
Comedy $224K2 films · #1 Victoria No. 203 (1972) -
History $37.8K1 film · #1 Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) -
Romance $22.8K1 film · #1 Avanti! (1972) -
Documentary $16.2K1 film · #1 Chung Kuo: China (1972) -
Crime $9.6K1 film · #1 The Getaway (1972)
December 1972 Box Office by Language
Archive
Box Office in 1972, Month by Month
The months of 1972 with their totals: March leads with $251.4M, led by The Godfather (1972).
- January $71K #1 Dushman (1972)
- February $349.1K #1 Solaris (1972)
- March $251.4M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- April No grosses
- May $33.4K #1 Play It Again, Sam (1972)
- June $9.1M #1 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- July $6.7M #1 Joe Kidd (1972)
- August $18.1M #1 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972)
- September $107K #1 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
- October $20.6K #1 Slap the Monster on Page One (1972)
- November $605.2K #1 Elvis on Tour (1972)
- December $85M #1 The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
FAQ
Box Office December 1972: 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 movie in December 1972?
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) leads with $84.6M worldwide, $84.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Victoria No. 203 (1972) at $201.2K and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) at $84.8K.
How much did movies released in December 1972 earn?
8 films released in December 1972 report a worldwide gross, $85M in all, or $10.6M per film on average.
How many movies released in December 1972 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Poseidon Adventure (1972), earned $84.6M.
How is the December 1972 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 1972. 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 1972 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.