- Who
- Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
- What
- 514,602,427 US dollar(s)
- Where
- United States ()
- When
The most successful Christmas movie at the worldwide box office is Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (USA, 2018), which earned $514,602,427 (£379 million) on its various releases between 8 November 2018 and 25 December 2020.
The animated festive fantasy is based on the 1957 book How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr Seuss (aka Theodor Seuss Geisel), and features the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as The Grinch. Upset by the noise and fuss made by the Whos during the festive period, the cave-dwelling, green-furred fiend attempts to derail Christmas. Also known as just The Grinch, the Universal Pictures release is the third movie adaptation of the book; an earlier version, a live-action movie starring Jim Carrey in the title role (How The Grinch Stole Christmas, USA, 2000), held the record previously.
Debate continues to rage over the definition of "Christmas movie"; if Home Alone (USA, 1990) is considered a Christmas movie - as opposed to a movie that just happens to be set at Christmas - then it can be considered the previous record holder, earning $476,684,675 on its release up to 14 June 1991. In the opinion of movie consultants TheNumbers, it is a Christmas movie and therefore ranks as the No.2 all-time record holder. (Of course, if you adjust for inflation, its gross is nearer to $1 billion!)
