How much of the December 2003 box office came from the US and Canada?

$1.3B of the $3.3B total, or 41%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 25 films of the 58 report no domestic figure.

Box office · December 2003

December 2003 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 2003, with $1.1B worldwide, ahead of The Last Samurai (2003) at $454.6M and Something's Gotta Give (2003) at $265.3M. 58 films released in December 2003 report a worldwide gross, $3.3B in all, 41% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 9 crossed $100 million. That is up 62% on November 2003, whose releases took $2B. By genre, Adventure leads with $1.9B across 9 releases.

December 2003 releases with a gross: 58
combined worldwide: $3.3B
films crossed $100M: 9
vs November 2003: +62%

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) movie poster

#1 of 58

#1 movie of December 2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

2003 · Action, Adventure

$1.1B worldwide · 35% of the chart's total

$381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%

Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of December 2003?

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) leads with $1.1B, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $2.2B, 68% of what all 58 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

Number 1

$1.1B The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
$381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%
Number 2

$454.6M The Last Samurai (2003)
$111.1M US & Canada · 24% $343.5M elsewhere · 76%
Number 3

$265.3M Something's Gotta Give (2003)
$124.7M US & Canada · 47% $140.6M elsewhere · 53%
Number 4

$190.5M Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
$138.6M US & Canada · 73% $51.9M elsewhere · 27%
Number 5

$173M Cold Mountain (2003)
$95.6M US & Canada · 55% $77.4M elsewhere · 45%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of December 2003, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Ranks 1 to 50 of 58. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in December 2003.

1
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Dec 17, 2003 · English · Action, Adventure $1.1B worldwide

Dec 17, 2003 US and Canada: $381.9M Rest of the world: $756.7M Worldwide: $1.1B
2
The Last Samurai (2003) Dec 5, 2003 · English · Action, Adventure $454.6M worldwide

Dec 5, 2003 US and Canada: $111.1M Rest of the world: $343.5M Worldwide: $454.6M
3
Something's Gotta Give (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · English · Comedy, Romance $265.3M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $124.7M Rest of the world: $140.6M Worldwide: $265.3M
4
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Comedy, Family $190.5M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $138.6M Rest of the world: $51.9M Worldwide: $190.5M
5
Cold Mountain (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Drama, Romance $173M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $95.6M Rest of the world: $77.4M Worldwide: $173M
6
Mona Lisa Smile (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · English · Drama, Romance $141.3M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $63.9M Rest of the world: $77.5M Worldwide: $141.3M
7
Big Fish (2003) Dec 10, 2003 · English · Adventure, Drama $123.2M worldwide

Dec 10, 2003 US and Canada: $66.8M Rest of the world: $56.4M Worldwide: $123.2M
8
Peter Pan (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Adventure, Fantasy $122M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $48.5M Rest of the world: $73.5M Worldwide: $122M
9
Paycheck (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $117.2M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $53.8M Rest of the world: $63.5M Worldwide: $117.2M
10
The Butterfly (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · English · Drama, Comedy $96.8M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $57.9M Rest of the world: $38.9M Worldwide: $96.8M
11
Calendar Girls (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · English · Drama, Comedy $93.4M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $31M Rest of the world: $62.4M Worldwide: $93.4M
12
Stuck on You (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · English · Comedy $65.8M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $33.8M Rest of the world: $32M Worldwide: $65.8M
13
Honey (2003) Dec 5, 2003 · Drama, Romance $62.2M worldwide

Dec 5, 2003 US and Canada: $30.3M Rest of the world: $31.9M Worldwide: $62.2M
14
Monster (2003) Dec 24, 2003 · English · Biography, Drama $58.5M worldwide

Dec 24, 2003 US and Canada: $34.5M Rest of the world: $24M Worldwide: $58.5M
15
Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · English · Biography, Drama $33M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $11.7M Rest of the world: $21.4M Worldwide: $33M
16
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · English · Drama, Comedy $22M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $21.9M Rest of the world: $39.8K Worldwide: $22M
17
House of Sand and Fog (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · English · Drama $16.8M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $13M Rest of the world: $3.7M Worldwide: $16.8M
18
Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) Dec 5, 2003 · French · Drama $12.4M worldwide

Dec 5, 2003 US and Canada: $2.8M Rest of the world: $9.5M Worldwide: $12.4M
19
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) Dec 13, 2003 · Japanese · Adventure, Action $10.7M worldwide

Dec 13, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.7M
20
The Young Black Stallion (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Adventure, Drama $9.6M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $6.8M Rest of the world: $2.9M Worldwide: $9.6M
21
Ladies’ Night (2003) Dec 10, 2003 · Spanish · Comedy, Romance $6.9M worldwide

Dec 10, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.9M
22
Inuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003) Dec 20, 2003 · Japanese · Fantasy, Adventure $6.7M worldwide

Dec 20, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.7M
23
Sams in Gefahr (2003) Dec 10, 2003 · German · Family $6.5M worldwide

Dec 10, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.5M
24
The Company (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · English · Drama, Romance $6.4M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $2.3M Rest of the world: $4.1M Worldwide: $6.4M
25
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · English · War, Documentary $5M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $840.3K Worldwide: $5M
26
Silmido (2003) Dec 24, 2003 · Korean · Action, Drama $4.9M worldwide

Dec 24, 2003 US and Canada: $298.3K Rest of the world: $4.6M Worldwide: $4.9M
27
Peter Bell II: The Hunt for the Czar Crown (2003) Dec 18, 2003 · Dutch · Family $4.4M worldwide

Dec 18, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.4M
28
Not on the Lips (2003) Dec 3, 2003 · French · Romance, Comedy $4.2M worldwide

Dec 3, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.2M
29
Japanese Story (2003) Dec 31, 2003 · English · Drama, Romance $4.1M worldwide

Dec 31, 2003 US and Canada: $647.1K Rest of the world: $3.5M Worldwide: $4.1M
30
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · Hindi · Drama, Comedy $3.1M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $48.8K Rest of the world: $3.1M Worldwide: $3.1M
31
The 3 Wise Men (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · Spanish · Family, Fantasy $2.8M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8M
32
Antikiller 2: Antiterror (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · Russian · Action, Crime $2.6M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.6M
33
MA 2412 - Die Staatsdiener (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · German · Comedy $2.3M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3M
34
Round-Trip (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · Swedish · Family $1.8M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8M
35
Sound of Colors (2003) Dec 20, 2003 · Cantonese · Comedy, Drama $1.8M worldwide

Dec 20, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8M
36
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2003) Dec 13, 2003 · Japanese · Drama, Romance $1.5M worldwide

Dec 13, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.5M
37
Captain Sabertooth (2003) Dec 25, 2003 · Norwegian · Family, Animation $1.4M worldwide

Dec 25, 2003 US and Canada: $105.2K Rest of the world: $1.3M Worldwide: $1.4M
38
Anna in Kungfu-land (2003) Dec 24, 2003 · Cantonese $1.3M worldwide

Dec 24, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M
39
Golden Chicken 2 (2003) Dec 24, 2003 · Cantonese · Romance, Comedy $1.3M worldwide

Dec 24, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M
40
Land of Love (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · Finnish · Comedy, Romance $1.2M worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M
41
The Statement (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · English · Drama, Thriller $1.1M worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $765.6K Rest of the world: $314.2K Worldwide: $1.1M
42
The Car Keys (2003) Dec 10, 2003 · French · Comedy $1.1M worldwide

Dec 10, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1M
43
Father’s Affair (2003) Dec 11, 2003 · Dutch · Drama $779.5K worldwide

Dec 11, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $779.5K
44
LOC: Kargil (2003) Dec 12, 2003 · Hindi · History, War $621.1K worldwide

Dec 12, 2003 US and Canada: $621.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $621.1K
45
Smart Philip (2003) Dec 4, 2003 · Czech · Crime, Mystery $453.3K worldwide

Dec 4, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $453.3K
46
Blueprint (2003) Dec 8, 2003 · German · Sci-Fi, Drama $399.4K worldwide

Dec 8, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $399.4K
47
Annie Brocoli dans les fonds marins (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · French · Comedy $374.4K worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $374.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $374.4K
48
Belly of the Beast (2003) Dec 30, 2003 · English · Thriller, Action $255K worldwide

Dec 30, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $255K
49
Blind Horizon (2003) Dec 14, 2003 · English · Thriller $202.7K worldwide

Dec 14, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $202.7K
50
The Hebrew Hammer (2003) Dec 19, 2003 · Comedy $94.6K worldwide

Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $82.2K Rest of the world: $12.5K Worldwide: $94.6K

US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in December 2003?

Of the top 10, Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) earned the biggest share at home (73% in the US & Canada), while The Last Samurai (2003) made 76% of its gross abroad. Across all 58 films, $1.3B (41%) came from the US & Canada.

1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B
$381.9M US & Canada · 34% $756.7M elsewhere · 66%
2 The Last Samurai (2003) $454.6M
$111.1M US & Canada · 24% $343.5M elsewhere · 76%
3 Something's Gotta Give (2003) $265.3M
$124.7M US & Canada · 47% $140.6M elsewhere · 53%
4 Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) $190.5M
$138.6M US & Canada · 73% $51.9M elsewhere · 27%
5 Cold Mountain (2003) $173M
$95.6M US & Canada · 55% $77.4M elsewhere · 45%
6 Mona Lisa Smile (2003) $141.3M
$63.9M US & Canada · 45% $77.5M elsewhere · 55%
7 Big Fish (2003) $123.2M
$66.8M US & Canada · 54% $56.4M elsewhere · 46%
8 Peter Pan (2003) $122M
$48.5M US & Canada · 40% $73.5M elsewhere · 60%
9 Paycheck (2003) $117.2M
$53.8M US & Canada · 46% $63.5M elsewhere · 54%
10 The Butterfly (2003) $96.8M
$57.9M US & Canada · 60% $38.9M elsewhere · 40%

Gross bands

How Many December 2003 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

9 of 58 films crossed $100M and took $2.7B between them, 83% of the total. 39 films, 67% of the list, earned under $10M.

35% 48% 14%

$1B or more 1 film, 2% of the list $1.1B · 35% of the gross
$500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
$100M to $500M 8 films, 14% of the list $1.6B · 48% of the gross
$10M to $100M 10 films, 17% of the list $471.6M · 14% of the gross
Under $10M 39 films, 67% of the list $85.4M · 3% of the gross

By release week

Which Week of December 2003 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 51 (Dec 14–20) took $1.5B, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

Earlier years

How Does December 2003 Compare With December in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, December 1997 earned the most: $3.7B from 25 films, led by Titanic (1997). December 2003 took $3.3B.

Month	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
December 1994 25 films	25	$942.7M	–	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
December 1997 25 films · +196%	25	$3.7B	+196%	Titanic (1997) $2.3B
December 1998 25 films · −60%	25	$1.5B	−60%	Shakespeare in Love (1998) $289.3M
December 1999 40 films · +10%	40	$1.6B	+10%	Stuart Little (1999) $300.1M
December 2000 42 films · +65%	42	$2.7B	+65%	Cast Away (2000) $429.6M
December 2001 58 films · +9%	58	$2.9B	+9%	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $888.5M
December 2002 53 films · −36%	53	$1.9B	−36%	Catch Me If You Can (2002) $352.1M
December 2003 58 films · +77%	58	$3.3B	+77%	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.1B

Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in December 2003?

Adventure took $1.9B across 9 films, 57% of the total, ahead of Action ($1.7B) and Fantasy ($1.4B). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $3.1B across 28 films, 96% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language films ($18.9M) and French-language films ($18M).

December 2003 Box Office by Genre

Adventure $1.9B
9 films · #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Action $1.7B
8 films · #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Fantasy $1.4B
7 films · #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Drama $1.3B
27 films · #1 The Last Samurai (2003)
Romance $904.8M
16 films · #1 Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Comedy $756.7M
19 films · #1 Something's Gotta Give (2003)
War $633.3M
4 films · #1 The Last Samurai (2003)
History $455.2M
2 films · #1 The Last Samurai (2003)
Family $339M
8 films · #1 Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Sci-Fi $128.4M
3 films · #1 Paycheck (2003)

December 2003 Box Office by Language

English $3.1B
28 films · #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Japanese $18.9M
3 films · #1 Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
French $18M
5 films · #1 Monsieur Ibrahim (2003)
Spanish $9.8M
3 films · #1 Ladies’ Night (2003)
German $9.2M
3 films · #1 Sams in Gefahr (2003)
Dutch $5.1M
2 films · #1 Peter Bell II: The Hunt for the Czar Crown (2003)
Korean $4.9M
1 film · #1 Silmido (2003)
Cantonese $4.4M
3 films · #1 Sound of Colors (2003)
Hindi $3.8M
2 films · #1 Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
Russian $2.6M
1 film · #1 Antikiller 2: Antiterror (2003)

Box Office in 2003, Month by Month

The months of 2003 with their totals: December leads with $3.3B, led by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).

FAQ

Box Office December 2003: 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 58 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing movie in December 2003?

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) leads with $1.1B worldwide, $381.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Last Samurai (2003) at $454.6M and Something's Gotta Give (2003) at $265.3M.

How much did movies released in December 2003 earn?

58 films released in December 2003 report a worldwide gross, $3.3B in all, or $56.6M per film on average. November 2003 releases took $2B.

How many movies released in December 2003 made $1 billion?

1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). 9 crossed $100 million.

How is the December 2003 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 2003. 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 2003 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.