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Box office · December 1979

December 1979 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) is the highest-grossing 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. 13 films released in December 1979 report a worldwide gross, $567.4M in all, 89% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 15.1 times the total of November 1979, whose releases took $37.5M. By genre, Comedy leads with $298.3M across 6 releases.

December 1979 releases with a gross
13
combined worldwide
$567.4M
film crossed $100M
1
vs November 1979
×15.1
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) movie poster #1 of 13
#1 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 Hits of December 1979?

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) leads with $106.3M, 19% of the total. The top 5 together took $416.9M, 73% of what all 13 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 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · 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 · English · Drama, Comedy $13.3M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $13.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.3M
  11. 11 Cuba (1979) movie poster
    Cuba (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Adventure, Thriller $5.6M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $5.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.6M
  12. 12 Beyond the Reef (1979) movie poster
    Beyond the Reef (1979) Dec 20, 1979 · English · Adventure, Romance $549.9K worldwide
    Dec 20, 1979 US and Canada: $547.5K Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $549.9K
  13. 13 The Human Factor (1979) movie poster
    The Human Factor (1979) Dec 18, 1979 · English · 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 13 films, $506.6M (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 13 films crossed $100M and took $106.3M between them, 19% of the total. 3 films, 23% 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, 69% of the list $454.6M · 80% of the gross
  • Under $10M 3 films, 23% of the list $6.5M · 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 $291.7M, 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) $291.7M 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: $728.5M from 12 films, led by The Exorcist (1973). December 1979 took $567.4M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
December 1970 11 films 11 $222.9M – 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
December 1979 13 films · +14% 13 $567.4M +14% Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) $106.3M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages 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. English-language films took $561.8M across 12 films, 99% of the total.

December 1979 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 $98.1M
    2 films · #1 1941 (1979)
  6. Adventure $88.8M
    3 films · #1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  7. Mystery $82.7M
    1 film · #1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  8. Romance $68.3M
    4 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

Box Office in 1979, Month by Month

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

FAQ

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 13 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing 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 movies released in December 1979 earn?

13 films released in December 1979 report a worldwide gross, $567.4M in all, or $43.6M per film on average. November 1979 releases took $37.5M.

How many 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 box office came from the US and Canada?

$506.6M of the $567.4M total, or 89%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 13 report no domestic figure.

How is the December 1979 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.

How often is the December 1979 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.