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Based on unadjusted worldwide theatrical box office, the highest-grossing Christmas movie is Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018), with approximately $526.7 million worldwide. It is followed by Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and the 2000 live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
This ranking measures reported theatrical revenue—not profit, popularity, streaming viewership, home-entertainment sales, franchise totals, or inflation-adjusted performance. It also follows a conventional Christmas-movie definition that excludes Die Hard and Die Hard 2, even though both films are frequently included in broader holiday-season lists.
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The 10 highest-grossing Christmas movies
The figures below are approximate worldwide theatrical grosses, rounded to make differences between box-office databases clear. Historical totals can vary slightly when databases add re-release revenue, revise reporting, or use different cutoff dates.
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Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018) — approximately $526.7 million
Illumination’s animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic book is the top-grossing title in this Christmas-film ranking. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch, who plans to steal Christmas from the residents of Whoville before the holiday’s meaning begins to change his outlook.
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Forbes reports a worldwide gross of approximately $526.7 million. Other databases report different totals: JustWatch lists $538,920,602, while Guinness World Records records $514,602,427 through December 25, 2020. Those figures are not necessarily contradictory; they may reflect different reporting cutoffs and treatment of re-releases. The safest comparison is therefore approximately $527 million.
Universal confirms that the film is available in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital formats. For viewers who want a permanent copy of the number-one film, look for the The Grinch 4K Blu-ray or DVD edition, checking the exact format and current availability before buying.
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Home Alone (1990) — approximately $476.7 million
Chris Columbus’ holiday comedy stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a boy accidentally left home alone at Christmas who must defend his house from burglars Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
The film earned approximately $476.6 million worldwide, placing it about $50 million behind the 2018 Grinch. Its result is especially notable because Home Alone is sometimes classified as a film merely set during Christmas rather than a Christmas movie. Guinness uses it as the previous record holder under that broader interpretation.
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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) — approximately $358.9 million
The sequel sends Kevin McCallister to New York after another travel mix-up, where he encounters the same two burglars. Columbus returned as director, John Hughes wrote the screenplay, and Culkin reprised the role that had made him one of the most recognizable young stars of the early 1990s.
Home Alone 2 earned approximately $358.9 million worldwide. Although it did not match the original’s total, it remains one of the most commercially successful Christmas sequels ever released and is part of Disney’s documented Home Alone film collection.
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) — approximately $345.8 million
Ron Howard’s live-action adaptation stars Jim Carrey as the green, cave-dwelling Grinch and Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who. The film expands the world of Dr. Seuss’ story while retaining the central plot: the Grinch attempts to stop Christmas in Whoville and discovers that the holiday cannot be reduced to presents and decorations.
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The Holiday- From writer/director Nancy Meyers comes a romantic comedy about two women on opposite sides of the globe who swap houses only to discover that a change of address can really change their lives.
The film made approximately $345.8 million worldwide, including about $260.7 million in the United States. Before the 2018 animated Grinch surpassed it, the Jim Carrey version held the Christmas box-office record.
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A Christmas Carol (2009) — approximately $325.2 million
Robert Zemeckis’ motion-capture adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol features Jim Carrey in multiple roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge and the three spirits who confront him on Christmas Eve.
The 3D production earned approximately $325.2 million worldwide, with about $137.8 million coming from the domestic market. Its position demonstrates the international commercial reach of a story that has been adapted for film, television, and stage productions for generations.
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The Polar Express (2004) — approximately $316.8 million
Also directed by Zemeckis, The Polar Express follows a skeptical boy who boards a magical train bound for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Tom Hanks performs multiple roles in the film, which adapts Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrated children’s book.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Forbes reports a worldwide gross of approximately $316.8 million, while JustWatch lists $315,249,768. Box Office Mojo maintains a dedicated title record, but the small difference between databases should not be treated as a meaningful change in the ranking.
Families interested in the source material can also look for The Polar Express book by Van Allsburg. Edition, format, retailer availability, and price can vary, so those details should be checked before purchase.
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Love Actually (2003) — approximately $248.0 million
Richard Curtis’ ensemble romantic comedy weaves together several relationships in London during the weeks before Christmas. Its stories range from comic and sentimental to uncomfortable and tragic, making it a more adult and structurally complex holiday watch than the family comedies near the top of the list.
Love Actually earned approximately $248 million worldwide according to Forbes. JustWatch reports a somewhat lower total of $245,203,167. The film’s annual Christmas rewatch culture and holiday setting explain its inclusion in a conventional Christmas-movie ranking despite its multi-story romantic-comedy format.
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Elf (2003) — approximately $227.3 million
Jon Favreau’s comedy stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised at the North Pole who travels to New York City after learning the truth about his parentage. The collision between Buddy’s childlike belief in Christmas and the city’s commercial cynicism drives the film’s humor and its emotional arc.
Elf earned approximately $227.3 million worldwide, including about $178 million domestically. Its holiday premise, recurring seasonal popularity, and continuing physical-media availability have helped make it one of the defining Christmas comedies of the 21st century.
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The Holiday (2006) — approximately $205.8 million
Nancy Meyers’ romantic comedy follows two women—played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet—who exchange homes between Los Angeles and England during the Christmas season. Jude Law and Jack Black co-star in the intersecting romances.
The film earned approximately $205.8 million worldwide against an $85 million production budget. Its domestic gross was about $63.2 million, meaning a substantial share of its reported theatrical revenue came from international markets.
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The Santa Clause (1994) — approximately $190.5 million
Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, an ordinary father who unexpectedly assumes Santa Claus’ responsibilities after a Christmas Eve accident. The family comedy turns that premise into a story about parenthood, belief, and the pressure of taking on an impossible job.
The Santa Clause earned approximately $190.5 million worldwide, including about $145.5 million domestically. It occupies the tenth position under this ranking’s narrower definition, which excludes Die Hard and Die Hard 2.
Why different lists produce different top tens
There is no universal definition of a Christmas movie
The ranking changes depending on whether a film must be centrally about Christmas or merely take place during the holiday season. Home Alone is the clearest example: its Christmas setting and holiday themes make it a conventional Christmas favorite, but some classifications treat it as a family comedy set at Christmas rather than a Christmas story in the narrowest sense.
The same debate surrounds Die Hard. The film takes place during a Christmas party, uses Christmas music and imagery, and has become a major part of holiday viewing culture. However, the conventional list used here excludes it. Forbes explicitly omits Die Hard and places The Santa Clause at number ten.
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A newer JustWatch list updated May 13, 2026 includes Die Hard 2, which reportedly earned about $240 million worldwide. Including that film moves other titles out of the top ten. The result is not necessarily an error; it reflects a broader definition of what qualifies as a Christmas movie.
Box-office totals are not permanently fixed
Historical grosses can change as databases incorporate re-releases or update their records. The 2018 Grinch illustrates the issue particularly well: the dossier’s sources report totals ranging from approximately $514.6 million to $538.9 million, depending on the source and cutoff.
For that reason, rounded figures are more honest than presenting every total as an exact, final number. The list measures nominal dollars at the time of release and does not adjust older films for inflation. If inflation were included, older hits such as Home Alone could compare differently with more recent releases.
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What this ranking does—and does not—measure
| It measures | It does not measure |
|---|---|
| Worldwide theatrical box-office revenue | Profit or return on investment |
| Nominal, unadjusted dollars | Inflation-adjusted performance |
| Individual film grosses | Franchise-wide or series totals |
| Reported cinema revenue | Streaming viewership or home-entertainment sales |
| A defined set of Christmas-associated films | Universal agreement about what counts as a Christmas movie |
Books behind some of the biggest Christmas films
Two of the ranked films began as illustrated or literary Christmas stories. The Grinch is based on Dr. Seuss’ book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, while The Polar Express adapts Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book. Readers looking for the literary sources can explore editions such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas book and The Polar Express book. Because editions and retailer listings change, verify the publisher, format, and availability before ordering.
Recommended Free Tools
For viewers who prefer to own the films, the most direct physical-media choices are the 2018 Grinch release in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, or DVD and the various Home Alone DVD and Blu-ray editions. These are title-specific recommendations rather than claims about current prices or stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-grossing Christmas movie ever made?
Under a conventional definition that excludes Die Hard and Die Hard 2, the highest-grossing Christmas movie is Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018), with an approximately $526.7 million worldwide theatrical gross. Sources report somewhat different totals because of database updates, re-releases, and cutoff dates.
Is Die Hard included in the highest-grossing Christmas-movie rankings?
Not in the ranking used here. Die Hard is excluded because the methodology counts films centrally associated with Christmas rather than every film set during the holiday season. Broader lists may include it, and some also include Die Hard 2.
Are these figures adjusted for inflation?
No. The figures are nominal worldwide theatrical grosses. They do not account for inflation, ticket-price changes, streaming revenue, home-video sales, or profitability.
Which Christmas movie is second highest-grossing?
Home Alone (1990) ranks second, with approximately $476.7 million worldwide. It was directed by Chris Columbus and stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister.
The Bottom Line
The 2018 animated Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch leads this conventional Christmas-movie ranking at roughly $527 million worldwide, ahead of Home Alone and Home Alone 2. The exact order depends on the definition of “Christmas movie” and on which historical box-office database is used, so the ranking should be read as a comparison of reported nominal theatrical grosses—not a definitive measure of quality, popularity, or profitability.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
