Instead of relaxing on the couch after Thanksgiving, Americans went to the movies, as the release of Disney’s “Moana 2” and the popularity of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” helped raise the domestic box office.
The three blockbusters pushed the five-day opening weekend record above 2018’s $315.6 million, totalling an estimated $420 million as of Sunday.
The sequel to “Moana” broke the record for the highest-grossing five-day opening, earning $221 million domestically. This surpassed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which made $204.6 million in 2023. “‘Moana 2’ has far exceeded our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that Moana has become,” Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, said in a statement.
“Having all three of these films seems to be a strategy, whether by design or by accident, that draws massive amounts of attention to the movie theatre experience,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst.
He added that the performances of the three films provided a new perspective on the box office year’s potential since no one predicted a $420 million Thanksgiving weekend.
According to Comscore, Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” has grossed $262.4 million domestically, with an additional $80 million earned from Friday to Sunday. Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II,” which has grossed $111.2 million, earned $30.7 million from Friday to Sunday.
The two films, which both debuted on November 22, were instantly dubbed “Glicked,” akin to the “Barbenheimer” fad of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in the summer of 2023.
The Christmas action film Red One, distributed domestically by Amazon MGM Studios and internationally by Warner Brothers Discovery, debuted at No. 4 and made $12.89 in its third weekend. CNN’s parent company is Warner Bros Discovery.
“Red One” was followed by Lionsgate’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” which earned $3.27 in its second weekend.
