As a film enthusiast with over three decades of movie-watching under my belt, I can confidently say that Christmas movies hold a special place in my heart and in the annals of cinematic history. The annual rewatches of classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” have become more than just beloved films; they’ve become part of my family tradition.
Every year, Christmas seems to hold a unique charm not just in popular culture, but also within the hearts of many people like myself. The annual viewings of timeless classics such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” transform these films into something more profound: they become an integral part of our family stories and traditions. This emotional bond is so strong that it draws us to theaters whenever a fresh Christmas tale emerges. After all, who knows? The new holiday release might just become next year’s cherished tradition. For example, “Red One” recently made its debut with a whopping $34 million domestically, marking one of the most successful openings for a Christmas movie to date.
To overtake the crown of the highest-earning Christmas movie, Red One and similar holiday-themed films would have to perform extraordinarily well at the box office. Yet, there’s one film that has dominated this subgenre in terms of financial success…and it’s by a considerable margin.
How Much Money Did Home Alone Make?
In North America, the Christmas classic “Home Alone,” directed by Chris Columbus, holds the record as the highest-grossing holiday movie ever with an impressive $285.7 million domestic box office earnings. Despite entering a congested market during the holiday season in November 1990, it initially appeared that “Home Alone” might struggle amidst heavy competition from films like “Rocky V” and “The Rescuers: Down Under.” However, on its opening weekend, “Home Alone” was only screened in 1,202 theaters, significantly fewer than other new releases of that time. Remarkably, it had the second-smallest theater count among the top eight highest-grossing movies in North America that weekend, demonstrating the low expectations for this comedy’s success.
For a span of twelve straight weekends, Home Alone reigned supreme at the domestic box office, becoming the ultimate must-watch movie during the entire holiday season. In 1990, there was no contest as Home Alone outperformed every other film at the domestic box office and stood tall above all Christmas movies. Even considering three decades of inflation, no film has managed to displace Home Alone from its domestic throne. Given the shortened theatrical runs for many films in 2024, it would be quite challenging, if not impossible, for a single movie to maintain its dominance at the domestic box office for three whole months.
Such legs propelled the film “Home Alone” to unparalleled box office achievements for any Christmas movie, surpassing expectations even when “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” was released in November 1992. Despite earning an impressive $173.5 million domestically, this sequel’s success fell short of the original by a significant margin. The “Home Alone” franchise failed to surpass its own record-breaking box office performance. It’s no surprise that other Christmas movies have found it challenging to replicate such heights.
What’s Come Close to Toppling Home Alone?
In November 2018, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, produced by the successful movie studio Illumination, came very close to dethroning Home Alone as the highest-grossing domestic Christmas movie. Domestically, it earned an impressive $272.69 million, falling just short of Home Alone’s total by $13.1 million. However, this was only the second Christmas film in history to exceed $270 million domestically. Interestingly, despite this, The Grinch actually outperformed Home Alone worldwide. Its global gross of $514.8 million not only marked the first time a Christmas-themed movie surpassed $500 million globally, but it also meant that The Grinch earned more than Home Alone did across all territories.
It’s worth noting that a different movie took over as the global champion for Christmas box office earnings, but in North America, it’s still Home Alone holding onto its title. The only other film that has come very close to dethroning Home Alone in this region is another Dr. Seuss adaptation, specifically How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which earned approximately $261.9 million in 2000. Among non-Home Alone Christmas movies, only the grumpy green character has surpassed $200 million at the North American box office.
Generally speaking, most Christmas films pale in comparison to Home Alone’s immense success at the box office. Even The Polar Express, boosted by numerous theatrical re-releases, has collected a mere $188 million domestically, which is almost $100 million shy of Home Alone’s North American gross. Given that only a few Christmas movies are slated for release in 2025 and 2026, it seems unlikely that many contenders for Home Alone’s box office throne will emerge soon.
To put it simply, even though non-sequels can be risky, they often become huge unexpected successes like “Home Alone,” which outperformed films such as “Rocky V” and “The Rescuers Down Under” on their opening weekends. Compared to follow-ups, original ideas rarely take off as massive hits, but movies like “Home Alone,” “The Greatest Showman,” or “Everything Everywhere All at Once” have proven this to be true. Many of the supposedly surefire sequels that competed with “Home Alone” have disappeared from popular culture. In contrast, “Home Alone” remains the undisputed champion among Christmas movies in terms of domestic box office earnings. This demonstrates the impact and enduring appeal of introducing fresh ideas to theaters that resonate with audiences.
Happy Holidays! We hope you enjoy all your favorite movies!
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2024-11-28 22:09