#1 of 21 #1 movie of December 1988
1988 · Drama
$354.8M worldwide · 35% of the chart's total
$172.8M US & Canada · 49% $182M elsewhere · 51%
Box office · December 1988
December 1988 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
Rain Man (1988) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1988, with $354.8M worldwide, ahead of Twins (1988) at $216.6M and Working Girl (1988) at $103M. 21 films released in December 1988 report a worldwide gross, $1B in all, 68% of it from the US & Canada. 3 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 164% on November 1988, whose releases took $387.2M. By genre, Drama leads with $590.8M across 11 releases.
- December 1988 releases with a gross
- 21
- combined worldwide
- $1B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs November 1988
- +164%
#1 of 21 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1988?
Rain Man (1988) leads with $354.8M, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $810.2M, 79% of what all 21 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 $78.8M The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)$78.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0% -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of December 1988, 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 1988.
- 1 Dec 16, 1988 US and Canada: $172.8M Rest of the world: $182M Worldwide: $354.8M
- 2 Dec 9, 1988 US and Canada: $111.9M Rest of the world: $104.7M Worldwide: $216.6M
- 3 Dec 23, 1988 US and Canada: $63.8M Rest of the world: $39.2M Worldwide: $103M
- 4 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)Dec 2, 1988 US and Canada: $78.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $78.8M
Dec 2, 1988 · English · Action, Comedy $78.8M worldwide - 5 Dec 21, 1988 US and Canada: $57M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $57M
- 6
Dec 14, 1988 US and Canada: $42M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $42M - 7
Dec 2, 1988 US and Canada: $41.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $41.3M - 8
Dec 16, 1988 US and Canada: $34.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $34.7M - 9
Dec 23, 1988 US and Canada: $32.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $32.6M - 10
Dec 9, 1988 US and Canada: $13.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.9M - 11
Dec 14, 1988 US and Canada: $13M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13M - 12
Dec 23, 1988 US and Canada: $12.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.1M - 13
Dec 15, 1988 US and Canada: $11.5M Rest of the world: $1.3K Worldwide: $11.5M - 14
Dec 23, 1988 US and Canada: $3.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.5M - 15
Dec 7, 1988 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $595 Worldwide: $3.3M - 16
Dec 9, 1988 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M - 17
Dec 21, 1988 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M - 18
Dec 2, 1988 US and Canada: $940.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $940.2K - 19
Dec 23, 1988 US and Canada: $785K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $785K - 20
Dec 22, 1988 US and Canada: $21K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21K - 21
Dec 16, 1988 US and Canada: $9.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.9K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1988?
Of the top 10, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Rain Man (1988) made 51% of its gross abroad. Across all 21 films, $698.1M (68%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Rain Man (1988) $354.8M $172.8M US & Canada · 49% $182M elsewhere · 51%
- 2 Twins (1988) $216.6M $111.9M US & Canada · 52% $104.7M elsewhere · 48%
- 3 Working Girl (1988) $103M $63.8M US & Canada · 62% $39.2M elsewhere · 38%
- 4 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) $78.8M $78.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Beaches (1988) $57M $57M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) $42M $42M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Tequila Sunrise (1988) $41.3M $41.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Dangerous Liaisons (1988) $34.7M $34.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Accidental Tourist (1988) $32.6M $32.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) $13.9M $13.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many December 1988 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
3 of 21 films crossed $100M and took $674.4M between them, 66% of the total. 8 films, 38% of the list, earned under $10M.
66% 33%
- $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 3 films, 14% of the list $674.4M · 66% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 10 films, 48% of the list $336.9M · 33% of the gross
- Under $10M 8 films, 38% of the list $12.6M · 1% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of December 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 11–17) took $456.1M, led by Rain Man (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 27–Dec 3 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) $121M The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 4–10 Twins (1988) $236.8M Twins (1988)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 11–17 Rain Man (1988) $456.1M Rain Man (1988)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 18–24 Working Girl (1988) $210M Working Girl (1988)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 25–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1988 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1988 earned the most: $1B from 21 films, led by Rain Man (1988).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1979 13 films | 13 | $567.4M | – | 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 |
| December 1984 18 films · +96% | 18 | $614M | +96% | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) $316.4M |
| December 1985 17 films · −3% | 17 | $593.5M | −3% | Out of Africa (1985) $227.5M |
| December 1986 14 films · −33% | 14 | $398.6M | −33% | Platoon (1986) $138.5M |
| December 1987 19 films · +17% | 19 | $468.2M | +17% | Moonstruck (1987) $80.6M |
| December 1988 21 films · +119% | 21 | $1B | +119% | Rain Man (1988) $354.8M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 1988?
Drama took $590.8M across 11 films, 58% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($535.8M) and Romance ($295.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $984.8M across 18 films, 96% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($4.4M).
December 1988 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $590.8M11 films · #1 Rain Man (1988) -
Comedy $535.8M8 films · #1 Twins (1988) -
Romance $295.5M9 films · #1 Working Girl (1988) -
Crime $163.1M4 films · #1 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) -
Action $133.1M3 films · #1 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) -
Music $57M1 film · #1 Beaches (1988) -
Thriller $54.3M3 films · #1 Tequila Sunrise (1988) -
Sci-Fi $26.3M3 films · #1 My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) -
Horror $16M3 films · #1 Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) -
History $3.3M1 film · #1 Camille Claudel (1988)
Archive
Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: December leads with $1B, led by Rain Man (1988).
- January $168.7M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- February $171.7M #1 Shoot to Kill (1988)
- March $284.1M #1 Beetlejuice (1988)
- April $197.4M #1 Colors (1988)
- May $533.3M #1 Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- June $1B #1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
- July $601.7M #1 Cocktail (1988)
- August $244M #1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- September $154.3M #1 Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- October $161.6M #1 Alien Nation (1988)
- November $387.2M #1 The Land Before Time (1988)
- December $1B #1 Rain Man (1988)
FAQ
Box Office December 1988: 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 21 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in December 1988?
Rain Man (1988) leads with $354.8M worldwide, $172.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Twins (1988) at $216.6M and Working Girl (1988) at $103M.
How much did movies released in December 1988 earn?
21 films released in December 1988 report a worldwide gross, $1B in all, or $48.8M per film on average. November 1988 releases took $387.2M.
How many movies released in December 1988 made $1 billion?
None. 3 films crossed $100 million, led by Rain Man (1988) with $354.8M.
How is the December 1988 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 1988. 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 1988 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.