Presents aren’t the only things being opened on this Christmas Day. Several big studios are releasing films Friday, among them “Concussion,” starring Will Smith, “Joy” with Jennifer Lawrence, and Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.”

One of the earliest movies to open on December 25 was the Bob Hope, Bing Crosby buddy flick, “Road to Rio,” in 1947. Today nearly every studio unveils at least one movie on or close to Christmas.

Kids are home from school, and most people have a little extra free time, said Paul Dergarabedian, a media analyst with box office tracking firm Rentrak.

“Once the presents are open and the family is together, what better activity to engage in than everybody going out to the movie theater?” he said.

Along with big ticket sales, there’s another reason for the timing: the Academy Awards. 

“Voting begins on December 30, and over the holidays, all of the Oscar voters are catching up,” said Anne Thompson, editor-in-chief of Thompson on Hollyood.

Thompson predicted the biggest Christmas movie will be one that opened a week earlier. You guessed it: Star Wars.