#1 of 24 #1 movie of December 1996
1996 · Drama, Sport
$273.6M worldwide · 22% of the chart's total
$154M US & Canada · 56% $119.6M elsewhere · 44%
Box office · December 1996
December 1996 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
Jerry Maguire (1996) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1996, with $273.6M worldwide, ahead of Scream (1996) at $173M and Daylight (1996) at $159.2M. 24 films released in December 1996 report a worldwide gross, $1.3B in all, 55% of it from the US & Canada. 6 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 26% on November 1996, whose releases took $1.7B. By genre, Drama leads with $885.8M across 18 releases.
- December 1996 releases with a gross
- 24
- combined worldwide
- $1.3B
- films crossed $100M
- 6
- vs November 1996
- −26%
#1 of 24 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1996?
Jerry Maguire (1996) leads with $273.6M, 22% of the total. The top 5 together took $866.6M, 69% of what all 24 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 1996, 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 1996.
- 1 Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $154M Rest of the world: $119.6M Worldwide: $273.6M
- 2 Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $103M Rest of the world: $70M Worldwide: $173M
- 3 Dec 6, 1996 US and Canada: $33M Rest of the world: $126.2M Worldwide: $159.2M
- 4 Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $50M Rest of the world: $91M Worldwide: $141M
- 5 Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $95.3M Rest of the world: $24.4M Worldwide: $119.7M
- 6
Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $37.8M Rest of the world: $63.6M Worldwide: $101.4M - 7
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $46.2M Rest of the world: $51.4M Worldwide: $97.5M - 8
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $63.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $63.1M - 9
Dec 18, 1996 US and Canada: $14.5M Rest of the world: $10.9M Worldwide: $25.4M - 10
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $22.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.3M - 11
Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $20.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.3M - 12
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $13.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.3M - 13
Dec 18, 1996 US and Canada: $12.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.8M - 14
Dec 5, 1996 US and Canada: $12.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.8M - 15
Dec 6, 1996 US and Canada: $9.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.8M - 16
Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $498.2K Rest of the world: $4.1M Worldwide: $4.6M - 17
Dec 24, 1996 US and Canada: $3.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.7M - 18
Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1M - 19
Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $52K Rest of the world: $312.2K Worldwide: $364.1K - 20
Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $285.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $285.1K - 21
Dec 18, 1996 US and Canada: $181.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $181.9K - 22
Dec 10, 1996 US and Canada: $50.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $50.8K - 23
Dec 6, 1996 US and Canada: $7.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.7K - 24
Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press (1996)Dec 1, 1996 US and Canada: $3.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.2K
Dec 1, 1996 · English · Documentary $3.2K worldwide
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1996?
Of the top 10, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Daylight (1996) made 79% of its gross abroad. Across all 24 films, $694M (55%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Jerry Maguire (1996) $273.6M $154M US & Canada · 56% $119.6M elsewhere · 44%
- 2 Scream (1996) $173M $103M US & Canada · 60% $70M elsewhere · 40%
- 3 Daylight (1996) $159.2M $33M US & Canada · 21% $126.2M elsewhere · 79%
- 4 Evita (1996) $141M $50M US & Canada · 35% $91M elsewhere · 65%
- 5 Michael (1996) $119.7M $95.3M US & Canada · 80% $24.4M elsewhere · 20%
- 6 Mars Attacks! (1996) $101.4M $37.8M US & Canada · 37% $63.6M elsewhere · 63%
- 7 One Fine Day (1996) $97.5M $46.2M US & Canada · 47% $51.4M elsewhere · 53%
- 8 Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) $63.1M $63.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 In Love and War (1996) $25.4M $14.5M US & Canada · 57% $10.9M elsewhere · 43%
- 10 My Fellow Americans (1996) $22.3M $22.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many December 1996 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
6 of 24 films crossed $100M and took $968M between them, 77% of the total. 10 films, 42% of the list, earned under $10M.
77% 21%
- $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 6 films, 25% of the list $968M · 77% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 8 films, 33% of the list $267.5M · 21% of the gross
- Under $10M 10 films, 42% of the list $20M · 2% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of December 1996 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 51 (Dec 15–21) took $407.7M, led by Scream (1996). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Dec 1–7 Daylight (1996) $181.8M Daylight (1996)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 8–14 Jerry Maguire (1996) $379.9M Jerry Maguire (1996)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 15–21 Scream (1996) $407.7M Scream (1996)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 22–28 Evita (1996) $286.1M Evita (1996)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 29–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does December 1996 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1996 earned the most: $1.3B from 24 films, led by Jerry Maguire (1996).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1987 19 films | 19 | $468.2M | – | Moonstruck (1987) $80.6M |
| December 1988 21 films · +119% | 21 | $1B | +119% | Rain Man (1988) $354.8M |
| December 1989 18 films · −24% | 18 | $779.2M | −24% | Born on the Fourth of July (1989) $161M |
| December 1990 15 films · −20% | 15 | $624M | −20% | Kindergarten Cop (1990) $202M |
| December 1991 20 films · +50% | 20 | $937.4M | +50% | Hook (1991) $300.9M |
| December 1992 14 films · −27% | 14 | $686.6M | −27% | A Few Good Men (1992) $243.2M |
| December 1993 28 films · +80% | 28 | $1.2B | +80% | Schindler's List (1993) $322.2M |
| December 1994 25 films · −24% | 25 | $942.7M | −24% | Dumb and Dumber (1994) $247.3M |
| December 1995 27 films · +3% | 27 | $970.7M | +3% | Jumanji (1995) $262.8M |
| December 1996 24 films · +29% | 24 | $1.3B | +29% | Jerry Maguire (1996) $273.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 1996?
Drama took $885.8M across 18 films, 71% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($713.2M) and Romance ($548.1M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $988.5M across 18 films, 79% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language films ($4.6M) and French-language films ($1.4M).
December 1996 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $885.8M18 films · #1 Jerry Maguire (1996) -
Comedy $713.2M11 films · #1 Jerry Maguire (1996) -
Romance $548.1M10 films · #1 Jerry Maguire (1996) -
Thriller $433.6M3 films · #1 Scream (1996) -
Sport $273.6M1 film · #1 Jerry Maguire (1996) -
Action $260.6M2 films · #1 Daylight (1996) -
Adventure $244.6M3 films · #1 Daylight (1996) -
Crime $237.2M3 films · #1 Scream (1996) -
Fantasy $221.1M2 films · #1 Michael (1996) -
Horror $173M1 film · #1 Scream (1996)
Archive
Box Office in 1996, Month by Month
The months of 1996 with their totals: November leads with $1.7B, led by 101 Dalmatians (1996).
- January $226.1M #1 Mr. Holland's Opus (1996)
- February $375.4M #1 Broken Arrow (1996)
- March $659.1M #1 The Birdcage (1996)
- April $486.9M #1 Primal Fear (1996)
- May $1.2B #1 Twister (1996)
- June $1.4B #1 The Rock (1996)
- July $1.2B #1 Independence Day (1996)
- August $420.9M #1 Chain Reaction (1996)
- September $373.8M #1 The First Wives Club (1996)
- October $489.5M #1 Sleepers (1996)
- November $1.7B #1 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- December $1.3B #1 Jerry Maguire (1996)
FAQ
Box Office December 1996: 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 24 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in December 1996?
Jerry Maguire (1996) leads with $273.6M worldwide, $154M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Scream (1996) at $173M and Daylight (1996) at $159.2M.
How much did movies released in December 1996 earn?
24 films released in December 1996 report a worldwide gross, $1.3B in all, or $52.3M per film on average. November 1996 releases took $1.7B.
How many movies released in December 1996 made $1 billion?
None. 6 films crossed $100 million, led by Jerry Maguire (1996) with $273.6M.
How is the December 1996 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 1996. 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 1996 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.