For the 15 days December 16-30, top 10 films in North America have totaled $942 million, now +68% ahead of the same period last year, +73% above the average since 2002, and +36% ahead of the previous record for this period (2009, the year of Avatar).
| Box Office Volume — Top 10 Films North America | |||||||
| ($ millions) | Past 13 years — 2002-2014 | ||||||
| # days | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | Average | Peak Year | Low Year | |
| Dec 16-22 | 7 | 415* | 196 | 193 | 179 | 223 (’03) | 112 (’08) |
| Dec 16-23 | 8 | 467* | 222 | 226 | 214 | 247 (’03) | 128 (’08) |
| Dec 16-24 | 9 | 503* | 238 | 248 | 234 | 266 (’09) | 138 (’08) |
| Dec 16-25 | 10 | 599* | 309 | 315 | 295 | 349 (’09) | 205 (’08) |
| Dec 16-26 | 11 | 700* | 376 | 373 | 355 | 445 (’09) | 268 (’08) |
| Dec 16-27 | 12 | 776* | 440 | 432 | 407 | 521 (’09) | 329 (’08) |
| Dec 16-28 | 13 | 831* | 487 | 494 | 455 | 579 (’09) | 375 (’08) |
| Dec 16-29 | 14 | 887* | 522 | 541 | 501 | 637 (’09) | 408 (’04) |
| Dec 16-30 | 15 | 942* | 560 | 580 | 546 | 693 (’09) | 442 (’04) |
| Dec 16-31 | 16 | 593 | 616 | 584 | 742 (’09) | 475 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 1 | 17 | 640 | 664 | 633 | 820 (’09) | 525 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 2 | 18 | 691 | 690 | 671 | 901 (’09) | 558 (’04) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 3 | 19 | 738 | 733 | 699 | 947 (’09) | 571 (’04) | |
Note: * represents a new record high
Tuesday December 29, 2015 ended up with $55.6 million for the top 10 films, well above the $39.2 million average when December 28 falls on a weekday and also above the December 29 weekend average ($50.8 million). Wednesday December 30, 2015 finished with $54.8 million for the top 10 films, well above the $38.9 million weekday average for December 30 and comfortably above the $48.1 million weekend average for December 30.
December 31 historically is about the same whether it falls on a weekday ($35.2 million average) or weekend ($37.9 million average). Star Wars: A Force Awakens might stretch December 31 to around $41 million, but the New Year’s Eve parties and the two semi-final college bowl games should bring the box office back to Earth for the first time in weeks.
January 1 has averaged $53.7 million for the top 10 films when the day falls on a weekend. But January 1, 2016 could be looking at around $85 million for the top 10 films (somewhat under the $95.9 million on Christmas Day a week ago, the normal pattern between the two holidays).
Come back over the next few days for updates on this historic holiday period at the box office.
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