On This Day - December 21
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Record Day
The chart below contains the top 10 movies based on daily domestic revenue recorded on December 21.
| Year | Title | Day of Week |
Day | Domestic Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Saturday | $47,467,565 | $515,202,542 |
| 2015 | Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens | Monday | $40,109,742 | $936,662,225 |
| 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Tuesday | $31,408,657 | $814,811,535 |
| 2018 | Aquaman | Friday | $27,733,155 | $335,061,807 |
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Sunday | $24,261,028 | $347,000,577 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Sunday | $23,326,111 | $381,518,844 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Saturday | $22,752,057 | $345,607,787 |
| 2024 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Saturday | $19,320,946 | $236,115,100 |
| 2017 | Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi | Thursday | $17,892,347 | $620,181,382 |
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Sunday | $16,763,949 | $255,119,788 |
Record Opening Day
The chart below contains the top movies based on domestic opening day on December 21.
| Year | Title | Day of Week |
Opening Day |
Domestic Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Aquaman | Friday | $27,733,155 | $335,061,807 |
| 2007 | National Treasure: Book of Secrets | Friday | $16,739,339 | $219,961,501 |
| 2016 | Sing | Wednesday | $11,010,175 | $270,329,045 |
| 2018 | Bumblebee | Friday | $8,501,129 | $127,195,589 |
| 2011 | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Wednesday | $5,065,496 | $102,515,793 |
| 2012 | Jack Reacher | Friday | $5,021,737 | $80,070,736 |
| 2016 | Assassin’s Creed | Wednesday | $4,623,401 | $54,647,948 |
| 2016 | Passengers | Wednesday | $4,106,572 | $100,014,699 |
| 2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Friday | $3,832,426 | $52,898,073 |
| 2005 | Fun with Dick & Jane | Wednesday | $3,761,129 | $110,550,000 |
Record Weekend
The chart below contains the top 10 movies based on domestic revenue recorded on a weekend where Friday, Saturday or Sunday was December 21.
| Year | Title | Weekend | Domestic Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | $177,383,864 | $515,202,542 |
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | $89,160,860 | $347,000,577 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $72,629,713 | $381,518,844 |
| 2018 | Aquaman | $67,873,522 | $335,061,807 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $62,007,528 | $345,607,787 |
| 2024 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | $60,102,146 | $236,115,100 |
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | $54,724,334 | $255,119,788 |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | $47,211,490 | $319,740,348 |
| 2007 | National Treasure: Book of Secrets | $44,783,772 | $219,961,501 |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | $36,888,365 | $303,003,568 |
Future Releases
Movies to be released on this date in the future: 2029: Avatar 4
Born and Died
Born on this day in history: Ed Nelson (1928, died on August 9, 2014 at the age of 85), John G. Avildsen (1935, died on June 16, 2017 at the age of 81), Jane Fonda (1937, turns 89 this year), Sheila Reid (1937, turns 89 this year), David Levy (1937, died on June 2, 2024 at the age of 86), Larry Bryggman (1938, turns 88 this year), Jared Martin (1941, died on May 24, 2017 at the age of 75), Jack Nance (1943, died on December 30, 1996 at the age of 53), Josh Mostel (1946, turns 80 this year), Samuel L. Jackson (1948, turns 78 this year), Barry Gordon (1948, turns 78 this year), Michael Horse (1949, turns 77 this year), Jeffrey Katzenberg (1950, turns 76 this year), Dennis Boutsikaris (1952, turns 74 this year), Jane Kaczmarek (1955, turns 71 this year), Ray Romano (1957, turns 69 this year), Lisa Gerritsen (1957, turns 69 this year), Steven Mnuchin (1962, turns 64 this year), Fabiana Udenio (1964, turns 62 this year), Andy Dick (1965, turns 61 this year), Kiefer Sutherland (1966, turns 60 this year), Michelle Hurd (1966, turns 60 this year), Khrystyne Haje (1968, turns 58 this year), Lumi Cavazos (1968, turns 58 this year), Julie Delpy (1969, turns 57 this year), Jack Noseworthy (1969, turns 57 this year), Glenn Fitzgerald (1971, turns 55 this year), John Erick Dowdle (1972, turns 54 this year), AJ Bowen (1977, turns 49 this year), Rutina Wesley (1978, turns 48 this year), Mike Vitar (1978, turns 48 this year), Tuva Novotny (1979, turns 47 this year), Daniel Brocklebank (1979, turns 47 this year), Eve Mauro (1981, turns 45 this year), Tom Payne (1982, turns 44 this year), Steven Yeun (1983, turns 43 this year), Nathalie Rapti Gomez (1984, turns 42 this year), Tom Sturridge (1985, turns 41 this year), Teresa Ruiz (1988, turns 38 this year), Tamannah Bhatia (1989, turns 37 this year), Alexander Arnold (1992, turns 34 this year), Kaitlyn Dever (1996, turns 30 this year), Madelyn Cline (1997, turns 29 this year)
Died on this day in history: Ted Healy (1937, at the age of 41), F. Scott Fitzgerald (1940, at the age of 44), Stuart Erwin (1967, at the age of 64), Richard Long (1974, at the age of 47), Ralph Nelson (1987, at the age of 71), Lois Hall (2006, at the age of 80), Billie Whitelaw (2014, at the age of 82), Chu Ishikawa (2017, at the age of 50), Tony Barry (2022, at the age of 81), Art Evans (2024, at the age of 82), Michelle Botes (2024, at the age of 61), Hudson Meek (2024, at the age of 16)
Note: The charts on this page are not adjusted for inflation.