The highest grossing Christmas film of all time – and where Rotten Tomatoes ranks it in the Top 10 festive flicks
THE list of Christmas movies we love to watch each year goes on and on, but which one is the highest-grossing of all time?
Here are the Christmas movies which have made the most money since being released.
What is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time?
It's not easy making a successful festive movie but once you tick all the right boxes, you can earn some big bucks.
With stories about learning the true meaning of Christmas or romances blossoming, here are the ten most commercially successful Christmas movies of all time.
According to IMDb, they are as follows:
- The Grinch (2018) £405 million
- Home Alone (1990) £378 million
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) £284 million
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) £273 million
- A Christmas Carol (2009) £258 million
- The Polar Express (2004) $314.1 million
- Love Actually (2003) £249 million
- Elf (2003)£180 million
- The Holiday (2006) £163 million
- The Santa Clause (1994) £151 million
Read More on Christmas Films
What are the Rotten Tomatoes Top 10 Christmas films?
1. Meet Me in St. Louis (1994) 100%
Judy Garland stars as Esther Smith in this romantic musical comedy.
The film focuses on four sisters on the cusp of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
“The four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York,” the movie’s synopsis reads, per Letterboxd.
2. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 99%
Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) both at Matuschek and Company, a general store in Budapest.
They are constantly bumping heads with each other and disagree on almost everything.
Both have pen pals, which they use as a distraction from their busy lives.
Little do they know, they are each the other's pen pal who have both fallen in love.
3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 96%
The film follows a man who is portraying Santa Claus for Macy’s Department Store.
He claims he’s the real Kris Kringle.
In an attempt to find out the truth, a court case ensues and characters have to find out the true meaning of Christmas.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 95%
The film follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween, as he accidentally stumbles on Christmastown.
He gets a new lease on life and plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role.
The rest of the top 10 Christmas films are as follows:
- 5. Little Women (2019) 95%
- 6. Klaus (2019) 95%
- 7. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 94%
- 8. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) 94%
- 9. Little Women (1994) 93%
- 10. Arthur Christmas (2011) 92%
When is The Grinch on TV in the UK this year?
The 2018 release of The Grinch is a Christmas-themed movie which won the hearts of most viewers around the world.
In just five years, the film gained a gross of £405 million - making it the highest-earning Christmas movie of all time.
Read more on The Sun
The Grinch is next available to watch on ITV2 on December 9, 2023, at 6.35 pm.
You can also watch the film on Amazon Prime and Netflix.