Christmas is not just the season of sharing and giving and celebrating life and your loved ones, but also a season for jolly box office numbers. While the spirit of Christmas is often measured in twinkling lights, presents, and family time, for movie studios, true success is marked by how much profit a holiday film can rake in. And let’s be honest, wrapping up a massive box office gross is the ultimate present a filmmaker and production company could hope for.
Christmas movies hold a special place in our hearts and streaming queues. They take us to gorgeous winter wonderlands, restore our faith in humanity, and remind us of everything that makes the holiday so magical. But the cozy aesthetics have fierce competition on the big screen. From Buddy the Elf’s wide-eyed wonder to the Grinch’s mischievous antics, certain characters have urged millions of audiences to the theaters and achieved tremendous box office success.
In this list, we unwrap the 15 highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time, adjusting for inflation.
15
‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989)
$73.4 Million – $180 Million With Inflation
As head of the household, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants nothing more than to create the perfect, traditional Christmas for his family. Yet all Clark’s plans for a festive holiday end up becoming chaotic, from the finding of a tree, to setting up the lights, to planning Christmas dinner. Blackouts and a visit from the eccentric Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), further complicate Clark’s festive plans.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has endured for a few reasons: its phenomenal cast, endearing holiday-themed humor, and its positive message about family. This is one of the most relatable Christmas movies ever made, that also captures the nostalgia of a bygone era. ITs heartfelt message and perfect comedic timing would earn it a modest success at the box office, earning $73.4 million against a budget of $25 million, but National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has since become a staple in many households during the holidays.
14
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
$91.5 Million – $190 Million With Inflation
The Pumpkin King of Halloween town, Jack Skellington, has an epiphany when he stumbles upon a portal to the other holidays, bringing horrors to Christmas so that others can feel the joy of a good scare. Yet, after accidently ruining the holiday, Jack realizes the error of his ways, and begins to race to save Santa, who he had kidnapped, to help him restore the holiday.
With sharp visual direction, infectious songs, and a wonderfully macabre mix of horror and Christmas cheer, there really is no other holiday film like The Nightmare Before Christmas. While lower on this list, there is no denying that the movie remains one of the most beloved holiday classics, whether you watch it during Halloween or Christmas, with characters like Jack and Sally utterly adored and adorned on all sorts of memorabilia. The dual-holiday-spanning approach of The Nightmare Before Christmas paid off, as it went on to make a worldwide total of $91.5 million against a production budget of $18 million.
13
‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ (2018)
$174 Million – $195 Million With Inflation
A young Clara Stahlbaum (Mackenzie Foy) is dealing with personal struggles and feeling overwhelmed by the recent loss of her father. Things change when she receives a mysterious key on Christmas Eve and is transported to a fantastical land divided into four kingdoms. Here, Clara is tasked with finding a golden egg to help bring harmony to the realms, with the help with a handsome solider, Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight).
While The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is one of the highest grossing Christmas movies, it is one of the few on the list that would be hard to call a resounding success, with its estimated production value between $120–133 million only bringing in $174 million at the box office. Leave it to Disney to go on a big budget, high-risk reward model at the box office. Still, the modern take on a classic has its undeniable charm, as a visual spectacle with a lavish production that nails set, costumes and special effects to holiday perfection. Helen Mirren’s and Mackenzie Foy also shine in this family-friendly holiday re-imagining of a classic.
12
‘The Holiday’ (2006)
$205 Million – $315 Million With Inflation
Two women, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), end up switching lives after finding a house exchange website and deciding to use it to try to combat the heartache and loneliness they are feeling around the holidays. While other holiday films often teach those to be grateful for what they have, The Holiday touches on the importance of being true to oneself, as both Amanda and Iris soon find a new lease on life and romance in their new lives.
Christmas-themed rom-coms have endured in popularity, but much of this success lies in stand-out films like The Holiday taking a familiar formula and executing it with such uplifting holiday glee that it is difficult not to fall in love with the genre all over again. The cast here is also phenomenal and quintessential 2000s, with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black all playing perfectly into their roles to spread some holiday cheer and romance. Fans were certainly enraptured by the on-screen chemistry as The Holiday went on to gross $205 million at the box office against a modest production cost of $85 million.
11
‘Elf’ (2003)
$228.9 Million – $375 Million With Inflation
What happens when a human raised by elves decides to venture into the real world and find his birth father? Pure holiday magic, that’s what. In Elf, Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a peculiar, towering oddity who realizes that he’s not really an elf and sets out into New York City in search of his true identity, only to find himself in a series of misadventures, striving to save Christmas.
Elf was directed by Jon Favreau and the movie was his sophomore directorial effort. The movie’s enduring popularity is proof of the fact that sometimes, the greatest gifts come from the most unexpected places. Ferrell leads the movie with his signature comedic talents and the story captures the wonder, the warmth, the sentimentality, and the abundance of the holiday season. Elf went on to make a worldwide total of $228.9 million against a production budget of $33 million.
10
‘The Santa Clause’ (1994)
$189.8 Million – $380 Million With Inflation
Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced and overworked executive, that barely has any time to spend with his son, let alone try to get into the holiday spirit. Yet, when he accidently knocks Santa off his roof and follows the last request to don the Jolly man’s suit, he finds himself slowly transforming into the new Santa Claus. This journey begins to shift his perspective and transform his body. More importantly, it makes him realize the error of his ways and how neglectful he had been toward his son.
Fans of Christmas movies love seeing a grump make a drastic transformation; it is an ideal way to encapsulate the magic and influence of the season many feel in their own lives. The Santa Clause takes the familiar formula but also balances humor and heartfelt family drama to perfection. Arguably, the film remains as one of the most successful holiday franchises (besides Home Alone) with two sequels and a spin-off TV series that is just as beloved by the fans. Undeniably, the first film remains the essential entry in the franchise, reflected in its box office success that saw it earn $189.8 million against a production budget of $22 million.
9
‘Love Actually’ (2003)
$244.9 Million – $400 Million With Inflation
Written and directed by Richard Curtis, Love Actually is not only one of the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time, but it’s also one of the most obsessively re-watched holiday romance movies. Set in the days leading up to Christmas, the movie follows the lives of eight interconnected couples in London. From an aging rock star pursuing love to a heartbroken writer finding an unexpected romance, the movie has something for all of us.
Equal parts hilarious and heartwarming, Love Actually features an all-star ensemble cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and more. It captures the universal joy and frustration of falling in love and being forced out of it, all while spreading the magic of the Christmas season. Curtis’ script, the witty humor, subtle emotion, and a soundtrack full of iconic tunes, all lead to Love Actually hauling $244.9 million at the worldwide box office.
8
‘A Christmas Carol’ (2009)
$325 Million – $440 Million With Inflation
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, A Christmas Carol improves on everything that his previous animated film, The Polar Express, managed to achieve and makes a run with it. It tells the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s holiday-time redemption, with Jim Carrey voicing the miserly old moneylender. He is visited by a trio of ghostly guides on Christmas Eve, who lead him on a journey that transforms his bitter heart into a softer one.
The visual style and the dazzling, state-of-the-art makeover of Charles Dickens’ fantastical story is the perfect example of just how fast the entertainment industry and technical wizardry were advancing back in the day. A Christmas Carol, while making new accomplishments, never loses sight of the story and its emotional core. With Carrey’s phenomenal performance at the center, it envelops Scrooge’s story into new layers and manages to gross an impressive $325 million worldwide, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.
7
‘The Polar Express’ (2004)
$318.2 Million – $470 Million With Inflation
The Polar Express was a surprise hit. Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book, this experimental motion-capture film takes place on Christmas Eve and follows a young boy who boards a mysterious train bound for the North Pole. Accompanied by several children, he embarks on a wondrous journey to meet Santa Claus, who is devotedly preparing for Christmas, and to discover the true meaning of the holiday.
Also directed by Robert Zemeckis, this movie is an adventure of sorts. It not only tells a tale of self-discovery but is also a technical marvel because of how it juxtaposes live action with innovative motion-capture technology. The story, however fantastical, is filled with encounters and colorful characters that leave behind important lessons about faith and belief. The Polar Express earned a staggering $318.2 million at the worldwide box office.
6
‘Alvin And The Chipmunks’ (2007)
$365 Million – $530 Million With Inflation
In Alvin And The Chipmunks, we follow Dave Seville, a struggling songwriter waiting desperately for his big break in the industry. When a trio of singing, wise-cracking chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, lose their home and move in with Dave, he’s initially dismissive, but soon realizes that he could let them take over his life and his music career to climb to the top of the charts. But Ian Hawk, a greedy record producer, tries to exploit the siblings.
Alvin And The Chipmunks is nowhere close to the first title that comes to mind when you think of classic Christmas movies, and yet, it makes it to the top three in the list of highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time. At its core is a heartwarming story about found family and the transformative power of music. The soundtrack, the direction, and the iconic characters, all work together to make this family-friendly musical a box office hit at $361.3 million in global earnings.