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 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Sunday | $23,326,111 | $381,472,917 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Saturday | $22,752,057 | $345,115,396 |
| 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 |
| 2007 | National Treasure: Book of Secrets | Friday | $16,739,339 | $219,961,501 |
| 2009 | Avatar | Monday | $16,385,820 | $785,221,649 |
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 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $72,629,713 | $381,472,917 |
| 2018 | Aquaman | $67,873,522 | $335,061,807 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $62,007,528 | $345,115,396 |
| 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 | $318,651,105 |
| 2007 | National Treasure: Book of Secrets | $44,783,772 | $219,961,501 |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | $36,888,365 | $303,003,568 |
| 2007 | I am Legend | $33,503,201 | $256,393,010 |
| 2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | $31,505,278 | $258,241,522 |
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 87 this year), Sheila Reid (1937, turns 87 this year), David Levy (1937, died on June 2, 2024 at the age of 86), Larry Bryggman (1938, turns 86 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 78 this year), Samuel L. Jackson (1948, turns 76 this year), Barry Gordon (1948, turns 76 this year), Michael Horse (1949, turns 75 this year), Jeffrey Katzenberg (1950, turns 74 this year), Dennis Boutsikaris (1952, turns 72 this year), Jane Kaczmarek (1955, turns 69 this year), Ray Romano (1957, turns 67 this year), Lisa Gerritsen (1957, turns 67 this year), Steven Mnuchin (1962, turns 62 this year), Fabiana Udenio (1964, turns 60 this year), Andy Dick (1965, turns 59 this year), Kiefer Sutherland (1966, turns 58 this year), Michelle Hurd (1966, turns 58 this year), Khrystyne Haje (1968, turns 56 this year), Lumi Cavazos (1968, turns 56 this year), Julie Delpy (1969, turns 55 this year), Jack Noseworthy (1969, turns 55 this year), Glenn Fitzgerald (1971, turns 53 this year), John Erick Dowdle (1972, turns 52 this year), AJ Bowen (1977, turns 47 this year), Rutina Wesley (1978, turns 46 this year), Mike Vitar (1978, turns 46 this year), Tuva Novotny (1979, turns 45 this year), Daniel Brocklebank (1979, turns 45 this year), Eve Mauro (1981, turns 43 this year), Tom Payne (1982, turns 42 this year), Steven Yeun (1983, turns 41 this year), Nathalie Rapti Gomez (1984, turns 40 this year), Tom Sturridge (1985, turns 39 this year), Teresa Ruiz (1988, turns 36 this year), Tamannah Bhatia (1989, turns 35 this year), Alexander Arnold (1992, turns 32 this year), Kaitlyn Dever (1996, turns 28 this year), Madelyn Cline (1997, turns 27 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)
Note: The charts on this page are not adjusted for inflation.