UPDATE (19 days Dec 16-Jan 3): $757 million for the top 10 films in North America each day, now -6.5% below the average holiday box office since 2007 ($810 million over this span), ending up well below the pace of 2015-2017 when a Star Wars film anchored the holiday season but slightly above the pace of 2012-2014 in era of The Hobbit.
UPDATE (17 days Dec 16-Jan 1): $710 million for the top 10 films in North America each day, still -3% below the average holiday box office since 2007 ($734 million over this span), still well below the pace of 2015-2017 when a Star Wars film anchored the holiday season but above the pace of 2012-2014 in era of The Hobbit.
UPDATE (15 days Dec 16-30): $618 million for the top 10 films in North America each day, now -3% below the average holiday box office since 2007 ($639 million). Dec 27, Dec 28 and Dec 29 were each slightly above the average volume for each day, while Dec 30 is estimated to be slightly below the average Dec 30 volume.
UPDATE (11 days Dec 16-26): $403 million for the top 10 films in North America each day, now -6.5% below the average holiday box office since 2007 ($431 million). After a slightly than stronger than average Christmas Day, Dec 26 added up to $56 million for the top 10 films, -11% off the average total for Dec 26 when it falls on a weekday ($63 million). Daily detail available after the chart below.
UPDATE (10 days Dec 16-25): $347 million for the top 10 films in North America each day, now -4% below the average holiday box office since 2007 ($362 million). Well below the past three years with a Star Wars film anchoring the season but slightly above the 2012-2014 years anchored by a Hobbit film.
For the early holiday period (the 8 days between Dec 16-23), the top 10 films each day in North America have totaled $243 million, very similar to the pace of 2013 and 2014 (back when The Hobbit trilogy dominated the holiday movie season before the Star Wars period of 2015-2017). The $243 million pace is -9% below the average since 2007 ($268 million) but +37% ahead of the pace of 2012, the last time Christmas and New Year’s Day landed on a Tuesday.
| Holiday Box Office Volume — Top 10 Films North America | |||||||||||
| $ millions by year | $ millions (2007-2017) | ||||||||||
| # days | Period | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | Average | Peak Year | Low Year |
| Dec 25/Jan 1 on: | Tue | Mon | Sun | Fri | Thu | Wed | Tue | — | — | — | |
| 7 | Dec 16-22 | 196 | 333 | 336 | 415 | 196 | 193 | 146 | 228 | 415 (’15) | 112 (’08) |
| 8 | Dec 16-23 | 246 | 397 | 392 | 467 | 222 | 226 | 178 | 268 | 467 (’15) | 128 (’08) |
| 9 | Dec 16-24 | 277 | 435 | 428 | 503 | 238 | 248 | 196 | 293 | 503 (’15) | 138 (’08) |
| 10 | Dec 16-25 | 348 | 509 | 503 | 599 | 309 | 315 | 265 | 362 | 599 (’15) | 205 (’08) |
| 11 | Dec 16-26 | 404 | 580 | 589 | 700 | 376 | 373 | 316 | 431 | 700 (’15) | 268 (’08) |
| 12 | Dec 16-27 | 456 | 640 | 656 | 776 | 440 | 432 | 362 | 489 | 776 (’15) | 329 (’08) |
| 13 | Dec 16-28 | 512 | 697 | 712 | 831 | 487 | 494 | 414 | 541 | 831 (’15) | 375 (’08) |
| 14 | Dec 16-29 | 570 | 760 | 765 | 887 | 522 | 541 | 471 | 590 | 887 (’15) | 410 (’08) |
| 15 | Dec 16-30 | 621 | 826 | 826 | 942 | 560 | 580 | 517 | 639 | 942 (’15) | 445 (’08) |
| 16 | Dec 16-31 | 657 | 871 | 875 | 988 | 593 | 616 | 553 | 679 | 988 (’15) | 475 (’08) |
| 17 | Dec 16-Jan 1 | 710 | 923 | 931 | 1,065 | 640 | 664 | 600 | 734 | 1,065 (’15) | 525 (’08) |
| 18 | Dec 16-Jan 2 | 735 | 956 | 985 | 1,143 | 691 | 690 | 623 | 779 | 1,143 (’15) | 574 (’08) |
| 19 | Dec 16-Jan 3 | 757 | 979 | 1,010 | 1,188 | 738 | 733 | 642 | 810 | 1,188 (’15) | 621 (’08) |
Expected Volume Next Several Days for Top 10 Films [with actual daily totals in bold and brackets]:
- Dec 24 $20M [$32M], Dec 25 $67M [$71M], Dec 26 $63M [$56M], Dec 27 $47M [$52M]
- Dec 28 $51M [$57M], Dec 29 $53M [$58M], Dec 30 $52M [$51M]
- Dec 31 $36M [$36M], Jan 1 $46M [$53M], Jan 2 $31M [$25M], Jan 3 $17M [$22M]
Note: the expected volume each day is the weekday or weekend average since 2007, depending on whether each day falls on a weekend or not this year.
Top Holiday Season Films Each Year:
- 2018: Aquaman
- 2017: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- 2016: Rogue One
- 2015: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- 2014: The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
- 2013: The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug / Frozen
- 2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- 2011: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
- 2010: Little Fockers
- 2009: Avatar
- 2008: Marley and Me / Yes Man
- 2007: National Treasure: Book of Secrets
- 2006: Night at the Museum
- 2005: The Chronicles of Narnia / King Kong
- 2004: Meet the Fockers
- 2003: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
- 2002: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- 2001: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
- 2000: Cast Away
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