Santa Claus (1985)

Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $23,717,291Details
International Box Office $25,849Details
Worldwide Box Office $23,743,140
OpusData ID: 22380100
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$5,647,160 (23.8% of total gross)
Legs:4.20 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.9% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:970 opening theaters/1,585 max. theaters, 4.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $75,544,218

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,555 $23,717,291
All Time International Box Office (Rank 24,901-25,000) 24,901 $25,849
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,101-5,200) 5,198 $23,743,140

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 29th, 1985 (Wide) by Sony/TriStar
International Releases: November 26th, 2021 (Wide), released as Santa Claus: The Movie (Re: 2021) (United Kingdom)
November 24th, 2023 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
Video Release: October 26th, 2010 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, released as Santa Claus The Movie
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 108 minutes
Comparisons: vs. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Christmas, Family Adventure, Christmas in November, Santa Claus, Cult Movie, Prologue, Middle Ages, Elves
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Adventure
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Fantasy
Production Countries: United States, United Kingdom

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 456 $5,210,178 Dec 27, 1985 31
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 244 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 164 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 275 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 180 $14,571,261 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day) 86 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 64 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day) 90 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 79 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,555 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 2,301-2,400) 2,387 $75,544,218
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,911 $23,717,291
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1985 36 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,860 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,106 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 201-300) 235 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 501-600) 558 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 701-800) 795 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 17 $23,717,291

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 29, 1985 2 $5,647,160   970 $5,822   $7,142,367 1
Dec 6, 1985 4 $3,146,824 -44% 970 $3,244   $10,639,191 2
Dec 13, 1985 5 $2,722,804 -13% 1,316 $2,069   $14,171,995 3
Dec 20, 1985 5 $3,246,211 +19% 1,585 $2,048   $18,241,098 4
Dec 27, 1985 13 $1,568,800 -52% 1,480 $1,060   $22,463,748 5
Jan 3, 1986 16 $290,508 -81% 563 $516   $23,593,141 6
Jan 10, 1986 25 $55,180 -81% 178 $310   $23,717,291 7

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 29, 1985 2 $5,997,160   970 $6,183   $7,492,367 1
Dec 6, 1985 4 $3,956,824 -34% 970 $4,079   $11,449,191 2
Dec 13, 1985 5 $3,545,696 -10% 1,316 $2,694   $14,994,887 3
Dec 20, 1985 5 $5,900,061 +66% 1,585 $3,722   $20,894,948 4
Dec 27, 1985 13 $2,407,685 -59% 1,480 $1,627   $23,302,633 5
Jan 3, 1986 17 $359,478 -85% 563 $639   $23,662,111 6

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
United Kingdom 11/26/2021 $0 0 87 89 $25,849 11/30/2023
 
International Total$25,849 11/30/2023

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 24,901-25,000) 24,901 $25,849
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 23,301-23,400) 23,362 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 15,001-15,100) 15,060 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 21,401-21,500) 21,402 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,050 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 2,401-2,500) 2,441 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,180 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 7 $25,849

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,101-5,200) 5,198 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,301-4,400) 4,341 $23,743,140
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 37 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,801-2,900) 2,828 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,501-4,600) 4,540 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 301-400) 378 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 701-800) 772 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 916 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 18 $23,743,140

Supporting Cast

Burgess Meredith    Ancient Elf

Uncategorized

Dudley Moore    Patch
John Lithgow    B.Z.
David Huddleston    Santa Claus
Judy Cornwell    Anya Claus

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Jeannot Szwarc    Director
David Newman    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 16th, 2010

November 16th, 2010

It's getting really close to Black Friday, which is sometimes reported as the busiest shopping day of the year. (It's not. That would be Christmas Eve.) So it should come as no surprise that there's a prime release this week, or should I say re-release. Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition on Blu-ray is the biggest, and arguably the best, release of the week and it is the Pick of the Week. However, there was some competition from The Kids Are All Right on DVD or Blu-ray. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Santa Claus: The Movie

November 12th, 2010

TriStar started in 1982 and while the studio had a few hits during its short run (it was bought out in 1989) it mostly distributed films that failed to find audiences to one degree or another. This is true of Santa Claus: The Movie, which was seen before its release and as possible holiday blockbuster, but while it was a hit internationally, it bombed here at the box office and was savaged by critics. Now 25 years later, has time been kind to the movie? More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 26th, 2010

October 25th, 2010

Not exactly a busy week on the home market, as the biggest box office hit making its debut this week is Sex and the City 2, which I think is fair to call a disappointment at the box office. That doesn't mean there are no DVDs / Blu-rays that are worth picking up, including Winter's Bone on Blu-ray, which is this week's Pick of the Week. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$5,647,160 (23.8% of total gross)
Legs:4.20 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:99.9% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:970 opening theaters/1,585 max. theaters, 4.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $75,544,218

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,555 $23,717,291
All Time International Box Office (Rank 24,901-25,000) 24,901 $25,849
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,101-5,200) 5,198 $23,743,140

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Movie Details

Domestic Releases: November 29th, 1985 (Wide) by Sony/TriStar
International Releases: November 26th, 2021 (Wide), released as Santa Claus: The Movie (Re: 2021) (United Kingdom)
November 24th, 2023 (Limited) (United Kingdom)
Video Release: October 26th, 2010 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, released as Santa Claus The Movie
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 108 minutes
Comparisons: vs. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Christmas, Family Adventure, Christmas in November, Santa Claus, Cult Movie, Prologue, Middle Ages, Elves
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Adventure
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Fantasy
Production Countries: United States, United Kingdom

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date		Days In
Release
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 456 $5,210,178 Dec 27, 1985 31
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day) 244 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 164 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day) 275 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (All Movies, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 180 $14,571,261 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day) 86 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 64 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day) 90 $5,647,160 Nov 29, 1985 3
Thanksgiving (Opening, 5-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 79 $18,754,931 Nov 29, 1985 3

Supporting Cast

Burgess Meredith    Ancient Elf

Uncategorized

Dudley Moore    Patch
John Lithgow    B.Z.
David Huddleston    Santa Claus
Judy Cornwell    Anya Claus

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Jeannot Szwarc    Director
David Newman    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 16th, 2010

November 16th, 2010

It's getting really close to Black Friday, which is sometimes reported as the busiest shopping day of the year. (It's not. That would be Christmas Eve.) So it should come as no surprise that there's a prime release this week, or should I say re-release. Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition on Blu-ray is the biggest, and arguably the best, release of the week and it is the Pick of the Week. However, there was some competition from The Kids Are All Right on DVD or Blu-ray. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Santa Claus: The Movie

November 12th, 2010

TriStar started in 1982 and while the studio had a few hits during its short run (it was bought out in 1989) it mostly distributed films that failed to find audiences to one degree or another. This is true of Santa Claus: The Movie, which was seen before its release and as possible holiday blockbuster, but while it was a hit internationally, it bombed here at the box office and was savaged by critics. Now 25 years later, has time been kind to the movie? More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 26th, 2010

October 25th, 2010

Not exactly a busy week on the home market, as the biggest box office hit making its debut this week is Sex and the City 2, which I think is fair to call a disappointment at the box office. That doesn't mean there are no DVDs / Blu-rays that are worth picking up, including Winter's Bone on Blu-ray, which is this week's Pick of the Week. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 3,501-3,600) 3,555 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Inflation Adjusted Box Office (Rank 2,301-2,400) 2,387 $75,544,218
All Time Domestic Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 2,901-3,000) 2,911 $23,717,291
Top-grossing movies at the domestic box office first released in 1985 36 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 1,801-1,900) 1,860 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 3,101-3,200) 3,106 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 201-300) 235 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 501-600) 558 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 701-800) 795 $23,717,291
All Time Domestic Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 17 $23,717,291

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 29, 1985 2 $5,647,160   970 $5,822   $7,142,367 1
Dec 6, 1985 4 $3,146,824 -44% 970 $3,244   $10,639,191 2
Dec 13, 1985 5 $2,722,804 -13% 1,316 $2,069   $14,171,995 3
Dec 20, 1985 5 $3,246,211 +19% 1,585 $2,048   $18,241,098 4
Dec 27, 1985 13 $1,568,800 -52% 1,480 $1,060   $22,463,748 5
Jan 3, 1986 16 $290,508 -81% 563 $516   $23,593,141 6
Jan 10, 1986 25 $55,180 -81% 178 $310   $23,717,291 7

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Nov 29, 1985 2 $5,997,160   970 $6,183   $7,492,367 1
Dec 6, 1985 4 $3,956,824 -34% 970 $4,079   $11,449,191 2
Dec 13, 1985 5 $3,545,696 -10% 1,316 $2,694   $14,994,887 3
Dec 20, 1985 5 $5,900,061 +66% 1,585 $3,722   $20,894,948 4
Dec 27, 1985 13 $2,407,685 -59% 1,480 $1,627   $23,302,633 5
Jan 3, 1986 17 $359,478 -85% 563 $639   $23,662,111 6

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date		 Opening
Weekend		 Opening
Weekend
Screens		 Maximum
Screens		 Theatrical
Engagements		 Total
Box Office		 Report
Date
United Kingdom 11/26/2021 $0 0 87 89 $25,849 11/30/2023
 
International Total$25,849 11/30/2023

International Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time International Box Office (Rank 24,901-25,000) 24,901 $25,849
All Time International Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 23,301-23,400) 23,362 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 15,001-15,100) 15,060 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 21,401-21,500) 21,402 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 1,001-1,100) 1,050 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 2,401-2,500) 2,441 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 1,101-1,200) 1,180 $25,849
All Time International Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 7 $25,849

Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records

RecordRankRevenue
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 5,101-5,200) 5,198 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Non-Sequel Box Office (Rank 4,301-4,400) 4,341 $23,743,140
Top 1985 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office 37 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Original Screenplay Movies (Rank 2,801-2,900) 2,828 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Live Action Movies (Rank 4,501-4,600) 4,540 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Fantasy Movies (Rank 301-400) 378 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Adventure Movies (Rank 701-800) 772 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for PG Movies (Rank 901-1,000) 916 $23,743,140
All Time Worldwide Box Office for Sony/TriStar Movies 18 $23,743,140