‘Tis the season to get in the yuletide spirit by binge-watching a cheery collection of Christmas movies. Revered for their ability to remain watchable even after countless viewings, Christmas movies are the perfect way to usher in the holiday season. Needless to say, some of the more popular festive flicks made a killing at the worldwide box office, leaving viewers with a shared sense of Christmas cheer.
After all the box-office receipts were counted and categorized, the statisticians at Box Office Mojo were, in the spirit of the holiday, able to grant movie fans a full accounting of the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time.
Updated on December 24th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: The highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time provide an interesting insight into the perennial popularity of the holiday on film, as well as demonstrating that the theme is as attractive for younger audiences as it is for older ones. Not all of the highest-grossing Christmas movies are, by any means, the most popular overall with audiences but they do illustrate that movie fans are always hungry for festive fun.
20 Fred Claus (2007) – $97 million
• Available on HBO Max and fuboTV
Actor Vince Vaughn would have a duo of Christmas movie hits in the late 200s, the being a very kid-centric caper revolving around the rocky relationship between Santa Claus and his less jolly brother, Fred.
Though the movie had largely negative reviews, it proved just a little too irresistible a holiday-themed treat for audiences due to its impressive cast of not just Vaughn and Paul Giamatti as the Claus brothers but also Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Kathy Bates, and many others.
19 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) – $110 million
• Available on Disney+
Disney’s Santa Clause trilogy starring Tim Allen is one of the most well-known and profitable Christmas movie franchises of all time, with the always-festive stories following the trials and mishaps of Allen’s reluctant draftee who finds himself thrust into the role of Santa in the first film.
The third and–so far–final movie in the franchise sees Allen’s character, Scott Calvin, go up against Martin Short’s Jack Frost as they compete for the title of Santa in a traditional full-circle adventure that brings the story all the way back around to the first movie.
18 Office Christmas Party (2016) – $114 million
• Available on FXNow
Christmas movies aren’t always family-friendly, with a slew of more recent adult-orientated holiday movies raking in large sums at the box office. One of the most successful and star-studded was Office Christmas Party, which sees a particularly raucous gathering in a high-rise building steadily devolve into comedic chaos.
With a cast including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and SNL star Kate McKinnon, it’s no wonder why Office Christmas Party proved to be a big draw for comedy movie fans.
17 Jingle All The Way (1996) – $129 million
• Available on Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, and Tubi
Though often remembered as one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most famous misfires, Jingle All the Way has nevertheless endured as a, at the very least, a so-bad-it’s-good holiday favorite.
The iconic ’90s kids movie story sees Schwarzenegger’s typically overworked dad desperately trying to acquire that year’s hottest Christmas toy at the last minute, with ridiculous hijinks abounding. Though not exactly a hit, it still did admirably in relation to other Christmas-themed movies and even spawned a sequel in 2014.
16 A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) – $130 million
• Available on fuboTV
This sequel to the hit comedy Bad Moms from 2016 struck while the iron was hot and reunited stars Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Kathryn Hahn. While it didn’t take in as much at the box office as the original, its placement amongst the highest-grossing Christmas movies speaks to its overall success.
The lead stars were joined this time around by veterans Cheryl Hines, Christine Baranski, and Susan Sarandon, playing their characters’ visiting mothers in a fun and festive twist on the adult comedy formula.
15 Arthur Christmas (2011) – $147 million
• Available on fuboTV
The first computer-animated movie from Oscar-winning animation studio Aardman Animations, Arthur Christmas revolves around the youngest son of the then-sitting Santa whose naive love for the season leads him on a heartfelt adventure to get a missed present to its rightful owner before Christmas morning.
Though not one of the company’s highest-grossing movies overall, especially in relation to its budget, it was a hit with critics and audiences, developing a stronger fanbase with each passing Christmas.
14 Four Christmases (2008) – $164 million
• Available on HBO Max and fuboTV
A star-studded Christmas comedy led by Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, Four Christmases sees a couple suffering through the holiday by visiting each of their divorced parents, resulting in four separately awkward scenes that test the strength of their relationship.
Featuring Oscar-winning actors Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, and Mary Steenburgen as the parents, the movie overcame its largely negative reviews to become a relative holiday hit at the box office.
13 The Santa Clause 2 (2002) – $172 million
• Available on Disney+
The Santa Clause 2 takes place eight years after its predecessor, but not much has changed – Scott Calvin is still Santa Claus, and all the characters from the first film are living their lives normally – except for Scott’s son Charlie, who has vandalized his school in what appears to be a bid for attention. While Scott seeks to figure out the source of his son’s rebellious attitude, he also learns there’s another clause – The “Mrs. Clause” – which states that the new Santa must find his life partner before next Christmas Eve or forever lose his spot as head honcho of Christmastime.
While audiences and critics didn’t respond to it as positively as they did with the original, it’s a solid follow-up to a successful comedy, and it was generally more well-received than The Santa Clause 3.
12 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) – $173 million
• Available on Disney+
Disney’s whimsical Christmas musical never really transcended its token premise to become anything more meaningful than just a hollow fantasy with some strong performances and high-quality visual effects, and despite its relative box office spoils, it was actually a failure for Disney, as they spent around $120 million creating the film.
Still, the movie has its fans, but its problems with execution kept it from filling the role of a modern Christmas classic.
11 Daddy’s Home 2 (2017) – $180 million
• Available on fuboTV and Paramount+
The sequel to the hit family comedy Daddy’s Home from 2015, Daddy’s Home 2 sees stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg return with a Christmas setting and added stars Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, and John Cena in tow.
Though not as big a financial success as the first movie, and even more mauled by critics than its predecessor, Daddy’s Home 2 earned enough to make it one of the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time at the box office.
10 The Santa Clause (1994) – $190 million
• Available on Disney+
Tim Allen’s well-loved Christmas comedy about a man who becomes Santa Claus after putting on Santa’s coat was a hit with critics and audiences, and it’s easy to see why. The comedy, acting, and story form what’s actually a somewhat deep and inviting Christmas parable, celebrating its almost Hallmark-y vibe and being equally as enthralling as several other Christmas comedies, as well as much more memorable.
Audiences loved Tim Allen in the lead role and the film went on to make nearly $200 million at the worldwide box office.
9 The Holiday (2006) – $205 million
• Available on Hulu
A newspaper columnist in London and a producer in Los Angeles decide to switch homes for the Christmas season to get away from their unfortunate love lives and find their mojo in this beloved rom-com from writer and director Nancy Meyers.
Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star in the lead roles and are joined by charming love interests Jude Law and Jack Black. Though not without its fair share of criticism from both critics and fans, The Holiday has steadily become essential viewing for many movie lovers around Christmas.
8 Elf (2003) – $223 million
• Available on HBO max and Starz
Elf follows Buddy, a human who was raised as an elf by Santa’s elves and has only recently discovered his true identity. While attempting to connect with his biological father, who he traveled nearly 3,200 miles to meet, he wanders around New York City, spreading a spirit of jolliness and festivity everywhere he goes.
The film’s lead, Will Ferell, and director, Jon Favreau, both enjoyed increased periods in the spotlight because of the film’s nearly-universal triumph, and it remains a beloved and oft-quoted holiday hit.
7 Love Actually (2003) – $245 million
• Available on Freeform
One of the most devoutly watched Christmas movies to emerge from the 21st century so far, Richard Curtis’ large-scale ensemble rom-com follows various people and their romantic troubles in the run-up to Christmas.
Curtis’ longtime collaborator Hugh Grant returns in the movie alongside an impressive cast of predominantly British stars for an almost entirely upbeat collection of stories that capture the holiday spirit.
6 The Polar Express (2004) – $314 million
• Available on HBO Max and fuboTV
This somewhat experimental motion-capture adaption of a children’s book became a surprise hit. The film, which follows a group of children embarking on a train ride to the North Pole, became a critical success despite a few problems with the early development of the motion capture technology used to create its characters.
Still, there’s not much else to dislike about the film, and many consider it witty and enjoyable December fare.
5 A Christmas Carol (2009) – $325 million
• Available on Disney+
This 2009 film has a couple of similarities to The Polar Express. For one, it uses the infamous motion-capture technology the other film pioneered, although this time the mo-cap animation seems to have improved, as the visuals are top-notch; also, it was helmed by Polar Express director Robert Zemeckis.
Telling the classic story of the miserly Scrooge as he is visited by a trio of Christmas spirits isn’t an easy task, but the film is shockingly adept at its goal and never strays too far from the Dickens classic, with Jim Carrey excelling as Scrooge.
4 Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) – $345 million
• Available on Freeform
Jim Carrey plays a sulking and reclusive but sympathetic villain in A Christmas Carol, but that description also fits the character he plays here. This 2000 film gives the famous green, misanthropic character his own origin story and highlights some great performances, especially from Carrey.
While the 1966 television special is still widely considered to be the best version of the source text, there’s a lot to like about this fun Christmas adventure through a strange, Seussian world.
3 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – $358 million
• Available on Disney+
The first Home Alone movie was such a success that a sequel was imminent. The sequel follows Kevin McCallister as he is once again forced to take down two conniving criminals with only his ingeniously designed booby traps, instead of calling the police, for instance.
However, it still has great moments and its box office success allowed sequels to be made for decades following its release.
2 Home Alone (1990) – $476 million
• Available on Disney+
The mac daddy of Christmas comedies packed a serious box-office punch, and while it’s hard to pinpoint why this film became such a commercial success, the story of Kevin (played by the great Macauley Culkin in what is still his most famous role) defending his territory from his archnemeses, the bumbling Wet Bandits, is still hilarious and quite possibly timeless.
The franchise still goes on to this day, with Home Sweet Home Alone releasing in 2021, but the series of movies would never really recapture the glory of the original.
1 Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) – $512 million
• Available on FXNow
The eponymous antagonist of Christmas earned yet another film adaptation detailing his story, and with Illumination Entertainment masterminding the production, it was clear that commercial success of massive proportions was in the works.
Critics highlighted the movie’s differences from the source material, although the film’s visuals and general Christmas spirit were widely considered positive aspects, making many reviews decidedly mixed. Its success can’t be argued with though.