#1 of 9 #1 movie of December 1978
1978 · Action, Adventure
$300.5M worldwide · 60% of the chart's total
$134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
Box office · December 1978
December 1978 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
Superman (1978) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1978, with $300.5M worldwide, ahead of Every Which Way But Loose (1978) at $85.2M and The Deer Hunter (1978) at $49.1M. 9 films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $498.1M in all, 67% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 14.5 times the total of November 1978, whose releases took $34.4M. By genre, Action leads with $397.9M across 4 releases.
- December 1978 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $498.1M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs November 1978
- ×14.5
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1978?
Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M, 60% of the total. The top 5 together took $470.7M, 94% of what all 9 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 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 15, 1978 US and Canada: $134.5M Rest of the world: $166M Worldwide: $300.5M
- 2 Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $85.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $85.2M
- 3 Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $49M Rest of the world: $101K Worldwide: $49.1M
- 4 Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $24.9M Rest of the world: $2.5K Worldwide: $24.9M
- 5 Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $11M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11M
- 6
Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.9M - 7
Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $7.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.3M - 8
Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.2M - 9
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 9, Every Which Way But Loose (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Superman (1978) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $332M (67%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Superman (1978) $300.5M $134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
- 2 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $85.2M $85.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M $49M US & Canada · 100% $101K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) $24.9M $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 5 Moment by Moment (1978) $11M $11M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Brink's Job (1978) $7.9M $7.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 King of the Gypsies (1978) $7.3M $7.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Force 10 from Navarone (1978) $7.2M $7.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 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 50 (Dec 10–16) took $300.5M, led by Superman (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 Superman (1978) $300.5M Superman (1978)
- 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: $728.5M from 12 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). December 1978 took $498.1M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1969 5 films | 5 | $23.3M | – | 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 |
| December 1973 12 films · +757% | 12 | $728.5M | +757% | The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M |
| December 1974 10 films · −60% | 10 | $290.6M | −60% | The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M |
| December 1975 7 films · −70% | 7 | $86.5M | −70% | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) $50M |
| December 1976 7 films · +341% | 7 | $381M | +341% | Rocky (1976) $117.3M |
| December 1977 6 films · −23% | 6 | $295M | −23% | Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M |
| December 1978 9 films · +69% | 9 | $498.1M | +69% | Superman (1978) $300.5M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 1978?
Action took $397.9M across 4 films, 80% of the total, ahead of Sci-Fi ($325.4M) and Adventure ($300.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $197.7M across 8 films, 40% of the total.
December 1978 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $397.9M4 films · #1 Superman (1978) -
Sci-Fi $325.4M2 films · #1 Superman (1978) -
Adventure $300.5M1 film · #1 Superman (1978) -
Thriller $300.5M1 film · #1 Superman (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) -
Romance $11M1 film · #1 Moment by Moment (1978) -
Crime $7.9M1 film · #1 The Brink's Job (1978)
Archive
Box Office in 1978, Month by Month
The months of 1978 with their totals: June leads with $737.7M, led by Grease (1978).
- January $495.4K #1 Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)
- February $68.3M #1 Coming Home (1978)
- March $69.5M #1 House Calls (1978)
- April $48.5M #1 F.I.S.T. (1978)
- May $76M #1 The End (1978)
- June $737.7M #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 $133.4M #1 Halloween (1978)
- November $34.4M #1 The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- December $498.1M #1 Superman (1978)
FAQ
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 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in December 1978?
Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M worldwide, $134.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Every Which Way But Loose (1978) at $85.2M and The Deer Hunter (1978) at $49.1M.
How much did movies released in December 1978 earn?
9 films released in December 1978 report a worldwide gross, $498.1M in all, or $55.3M per film on average. November 1978 releases took $34.4M.
How many movies released in December 1978 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Superman (1978) with $300.5M.
How is the December 1978 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.
How often is the December 1978 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.