Movie Musicals Box Office - LES MISERABLES vs. Previous Musical Films - the Story So Far
By: BWW Special Coverage Dec. 31, 2012
With Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of LES MISERABLES already making a healthy start at the box office, BroadwayWorld decided to gather a ranking of the Top 20 movie musicals (including both adaptations and original musicals) since 1974. Grease leads the pack, and as of today, December 30, 2012, Les Mis is at No. 11 and likely to keep rising if word of mouth catches on.
As BWW reported earlier today, following its strong Christmas Day debut of $18 million, Les Miserables grossed an additional $28 million this weekend (Dec. 28 - 30), bringing its domestic box office total to $67.4 million. Overall, the sweeping epic musical placed third.
Please note that 'Adjusted' totals reflect the films' grosses based on the value of the 2012 dollar, in order to make a true comparison.
| Rank | Title | Domestic Total Gross | Foreign Total Gross | Domestic (Adjusted) | Worldwide Total Gross |
| 1 | Grease | $188,755,690 | $206,200,000 | $611,135,400 | $394,955,690 |
| 2 | Chicago | $170,687,518 | $136,089,214 | $224,752,700 | $306,776,732 |
| 3 | Mamma Mia! | $144,130,063 | $465,711,574 | $159,386,200 | $609,841,637 |
| 4 | Enchanted | $127,807,262 | $212,680,390 | $146,357,700 | $340,487,652 |
| 5 | Hairspray (2007) | $118,871,849 | $83,676,726 | $137,186,400 | $202,548,575 |
| 6 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | $112,892,319 | n/a | $437,251,200 | $112,892,319 |
| 7 | Dreamgirls | $103,365,956 | $51,571,724 | $120,626,800 | $154,937,680 |
| 8 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | $90,559,416 | $162,349,761 | $100,145,100 | $252,909,177 |
| 9 | The Muppets | $88,631,237 | $69,800,000 | $89,775,400 | $158,431,237 |
| 10 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | $69,701,637 | n/a | $188,241,800 | $69,701,637 |
| 11 | Les Miserables (2012) | $67,466,000 | $48,700,000 | $68,853,500 | $116,166,000 |
| 12 | Moulin Rouge! | $57,386,607 | $121,826,827 | $80,490,100 | $179,213,434 |
| 13 | The Blues Brothers | $57,229,890 | $58,000,000 | $168,923,900 | $115,229,890 |
| 14 | Annie | $57,059,003 | n/a | $154,098,100 | $57,059,003 |
| 15 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | $52,898,073 | $99,625,091 | $59,399,900 | $152,523,164 |
| 16 | The Phantom of the Opera | $51,268,815 | $103,380,072 | $63,961,600 | $154,648,887 |
| 17 | Evita | $50,047,179 | $91,000,000 | $86,583,200 | $141,047,179 |
| 18 | Popeye | $49,823,037 | n/a | $147,061,300 | $49,823,037 |
| 19 | Yentl | $40,218,899 | n/a | $96,350,800 | $40,218,899 |
| 20 | Burlesque | $39,440,655 | $50,079,118 | $39,096,000 | $89,519,773 |
For the full list of movie musical standings from 1974 to the present, click HERE.
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