#1 of 16 #1 movie of December 1983
1983 · Action, Thriller
$67.6M worldwide · 22% of the chart's total
$67.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · December 1983
December 1983 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
Sudden Impact (1983) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1983, with $67.6M worldwide, ahead of Scarface (1983) at $66.4M and Silkwood (1983) at $35.6M. 16 films released in December 1983 report a worldwide gross, $313.5M in all, 93% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 95% on November 1983, whose releases took $161.1M. By genre, Action leads with $182.2M across 6 releases.
- December 1983 releases with a gross
- 16
- combined worldwide
- $313.5M
- Sudden Impact (1983), the #1
- $67.6M
- vs November 1983
- +95%
#1 of 16 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1983?
Sudden Impact (1983) leads with $67.6M, 22% of the total. The top 5 together took $223.9M, 71% of what all 16 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 1983, 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 1983.
- 1 Dec 9, 1983 US and Canada: $67.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $67.6M
- 2 Dec 1, 1983 US and Canada: $46M Rest of the world: $20.5M Worldwide: $66.4M
- 3 Dec 14, 1983 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: $1.4K Worldwide: $35.6M
- 4 Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $30.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $30.5M
- 5 Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $23.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.6M
- 6
Dec 9, 1983 US and Canada: $21M Rest of the world: $27.9K Worldwide: $21M - 7
Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $16.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.1M - 8
Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $15.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.9M - 9
Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $13M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13M - 10
Dec 18, 1983 US and Canada: $11M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11M - 11
Dec 6, 1983 US and Canada: $5.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.3M - 12
Dec 16, 1983 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $836 Worldwide: $4.2M - 13
Dec 10, 1983 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M - 14
Dec 1, 1983 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 15
Dec 1, 1983 US and Canada: $108.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $108.1K - 16
Dec 29, 1983 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $328
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1983?
Of the top 10, Sudden Impact (1983) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Scarface (1983) made 31% of its gross abroad. Across all 16 films, $292.9M (93%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Sudden Impact (1983) $67.6M $67.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Scarface (1983) $66.4M $46M US & Canada · 69% $20.5M elsewhere · 31%
- 3 Silkwood (1983) $35.6M $35.6M US & Canada · 100% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Uncommon Valor (1983) $30.5M $30.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Two of a Kind (1983) $23.6M $23.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Christine (1983) $21M $21M US & Canada · 100% $27.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 7 D.C. Cab (1983) $16.1M $16.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Gorky Park (1983) $15.9M $15.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 To Be or Not to Be (1983) $13M $13M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 The Man Who Loved Women (1983) $11M $11M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many December 1983 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 16 films reached $100M. 6 films, 38% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $313.5M total.
96%
- $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 10 films, 63% of the list $300.9M · 96% of the gross
- Under $10M 6 films, 38% of the list $12.6M · 4% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of December 1983 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 11–17) took $139M, led by Silkwood (1983). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 27–Dec 3 Scarface (1983) $68M Scarface (1983)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 4–10 Sudden Impact (1983) $95.5M Sudden Impact (1983)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 11–17 Silkwood (1983) $139M Silkwood (1983)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 18–24 The Man Who Loved Women (1983) $11M The Man Who Loved Women (1983)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 25–31 BMX Bandits (1983) $328 BMX Bandits (1983)
Earlier years
How Does December 1983 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1979 earned the most: $567.4M from 13 films, led by Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). December 1983 took $313.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1974 10 films | 10 | $290.6M | – | 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 |
| December 1980 14 films · −13% | 14 | $494.4M | −13% | 9 to 5 (1980) $103.3M |
| December 1981 16 films · −23% | 16 | $379.7M | −23% | On Golden Pond (1981) $119.3M |
| December 1982 16 films · +43% | 16 | $544.2M | +43% | Tootsie (1982) $177.2M |
| December 1983 16 films · −42% | 16 | $313.5M | −42% | Sudden Impact (1983) $67.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 1983?
Action took $182.2M across 6 films, 58% of the total, ahead of Drama ($167.6M) and Crime ($150.1M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $289.8M across 15 films, 92% of the total.
December 1983 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $182.2M6 films · #1 Sudden Impact (1983) -
Drama $167.6M9 films · #1 Scarface (1983) -
Crime $150.1M5 films · #1 Sudden Impact (1983) -
Thriller $149.7M5 films · #1 Sudden Impact (1983) -
Comedy $63.8M4 films · #1 Two of a Kind (1983) -
Romance $36M3 films · #1 Two of a Kind (1983) -
Biography $35.6M1 film · #1 Silkwood (1983) -
War $30.5M1 film · #1 Uncommon Valor (1983) -
Fantasy $23.6M1 film · #1 Two of a Kind (1983) -
Horror $21M1 film · #1 Christine (1983)
Archive
Box Office in 1983, Month by Month
The months of 1983 with their totals: May leads with $593.6M, led by Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).
- January $24.2M #1 The House on Sorority Row (1983)
- February $117.8M #1 Gandhi (1983)
- March $158.6M #1 High Road to China (1983)
- April $171.3M #1 Flashdance (1983)
- May $593.6M #1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- June $437.6M #1 Trading Places (1983)
- July $291.7M #1 Jaws 3-D (1983)
- August $226.6M #1 Mr. Mom (1983)
- September $128.7M #1 The Big Chill (1983)
- October $181.9M #1 Never Say Never Again (1983)
- November $161.1M #1 Terms of Endearment (1983)
- December $313.5M #1 Sudden Impact (1983)
FAQ
Box Office December 1983: 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 16 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in December 1983?
Sudden Impact (1983) leads with $67.6M worldwide, $67.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Scarface (1983) at $66.4M and Silkwood (1983) at $35.6M.
How much did movies released in December 1983 earn?
16 films released in December 1983 report a worldwide gross, $313.5M in all, or $19.6M per film on average. November 1983 releases took $161.1M.
How many movies released in December 1983 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Sudden Impact (1983), earned $67.6M.
How is the December 1983 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 1983. 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 1983 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.