The top 10 films Christmas Day 2014 totaled $71.2 million, well above the 12-year average of $55.9 million for the day and above the very high December 25 totals the last two years: $67.2 million in 2013 and $68.1 million in 2014. Only 2009 had a higher Christmas Day: $82.6 million in the season of Avatar. With Unbroken surging into first place and leading a very healthy Christmas box office this year, our forecast of an “average” December 25 box office volume proved quite off. The ten days between December 16 and 25 this year total $309 million for the top 10 films, now +6.6% above the 12-year average for that period and now a relatively small -1.9% below the same period last year.
| Box Office Volume — Top 10 Films North America | ||||||
| ($ millions) | Past 12 years — 2002-2013 | |||||
| # days | 2014 | 2013 | Average | Peak Year | Low Year | |
| Dec 16-22 | 7 | 196 | 193 | 181 | 223 (’03) | 112 (’08) |
| Dec 16-23 | 8 | 222 | 226 | 214 | 247 (’03) | 128 (’08) |
| Dec 16-24 | 9 | 238 | 248 | 234 | 266 (’09) | 138 (’08) |
| Dec 16-25 | 10 | 309 | 315 | 290 | 349 (’09) | 205 (’08) |
| Dec 16-26 | 11 | 373 | 347 | 445 (’09) | 268 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-27 | 12 | 432 | 397 | 521 (’09) | 329 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-28 | 13 | 494 | 444 | 579 (’09) | 375 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-29 | 14 | 541 | 488 | 637 (’09) | 408 (’04) | |
| Dec 16-30 | 15 | 580 | 531 | 693 (’09) | 442 (’04) | |
| Dec 16-31 | 16 | 616 | 568 | 742 (’09) | 475 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 1 | 17 | 664 | 616 | 820 (’09) | 525 (’08) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 2 | 18 | 690 | 652 | 901 (’09) | 558 (’04) | |
| Dec 16-Jan 3 | 19 | 733 | 679 | 947 (’09) | 571 (’04) | |
December 26 has averaged $63.1 million when it has fallen on a Friday-Sunday, as it does this year (while the day has averaged $53.0 million when it has fallen on a Monday-Thursday). The last time the day after Christmas was on a Friday (2008), the day totaled $63.5 million for the top 10 films. The 2014 holiday season has a chance to catch up with 2013 with only a decent December 26 this year.
Come back tomorrow as we look at how the day after Christmas actually turned out, and we will preview December 27.
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