ZOOTOPIA 2 Leads the Box Office Pack with Huge Weekend Haul
The Thanksgiving holiday box office finally has something to celebrate. Two major releases stepped up in a big way and delivered the kind of turnout theater owners have been waiting for.
At the front of the charge is Zootopia 2, which stormed into the weekend with a massive Black Friday performance that set the tone for what’s shaping up to be a strong five day stretch.
Here’s how the numbers shook out and what else is happening across the holiday box office.
Disney’s Zootopia 2 pulled in an impressive $156 million in North America and $400 million overseas, delivering a stunning $556 million global total.
The film broke several records. It is the fourth-biggest worldwide debut in box office history following Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as the largest global launch of all time for an animated film.
“The incredible response to Zootopia 2 reflects both its worldwide appeal and the remarkable work of our filmmakers and cast,” says Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman. “It’s a proud moment for Disney Animation and all of us at Disney, not to mention a great way to start the holiday season.”
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, Zootopia 2 reunites Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, as they dig into a new mystery surrounding a reptilian outsider played by Ke Huy Quan. With strong audience turnout and a built in fanbase that has waited years for this follow up, the film is clearly connecting.
Right behind Disney’s animated adventure is Wicked: For Good, which earned $26 million on its second Friday from 4,115 theaters. That marks a 62% drop from its opening Friday, but the film is still performing incredibly well.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the musical sequel has reached $226.6 million domestically and is on track to close the holiday weekend somewhere near $270 million.
A24’s fantasy romance Eternity landed in sixth place with an estimated $1.1 million on Friday and $3.1 million since Wednesday. Directed by David Freyne, the film stars Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller as a married couple who reunite in the afterlife only to confront complications from an old flame played by Callum Turner. Though opening modestly, it’s the kind of film that could build momentum through word of mouth.
In its second weekend, Rental Family collected $800,000 dollars according to rival estimates. The Searchlight Pictures release stars Brendan Fraser as an expat actor working in Japan who steps into the role of a stand in father for a young girl.
With an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade on CinemaScore, the film’s strong reception could help it stay in the conversation through the holiday season.
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet opened in limited release Wednesday and brought in $300,000 from 119 locations. Starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare, the film explores the emotional origins behind the creation of Hamlet.
It’s already generating awards season talk with expectations of competing in eleven major Oscar categories, including best picture, director, actress and actor.
The third installment of the magical heist franchise Now You See Me: Now You Don’t placed third with an estimated $2.6 million on Friday and is likely to reach $49 million by Sunday.
Predator: Badlands followed in fourth with $1.8 million, bringing its North American total to $82 million.
Rounding out the top five is Edgar Wright’s dystopian action filmThe Running Man, earning $980,000 dollars on Friday and eyeing a $34 million domestic total by the end of the weekend.
Between Zootopia 2 and Wicked: For Good, the Thanksgiving box office is finally showing signs of life again.