Domestic Box Office Set for Record Thanksgiving Haul
The domestic box office is on track to achieve its highest Thanksgiving performance since the pandemic, driven by the releases of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II.
Strong Start for Moana 2
Disney’s Moana 2 debuted in theaters on Wednesday and is projected to earn between $120 million and $150 million in the U.S. and Canada through the Sunday holiday. This marks a major boost for the box office, as it joins Universal’s Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II, both of which are in their second week of release.
Thanksgiving Weekend to Surpass $200 Million
Analysts predict the five-day Thanksgiving weekend will surpass $200 million in box office sales, potentially ranking as the second- or third-highest Thanksgiving in cinematic history. Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, referred to the combination of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II as a “perfect storm” for movie theaters. He emphasized that, while the holiday used to see major releases appealing to all audiences, this has been a challenge in the post-pandemic era. However, this year’s trio of tentpole films could generate some of the highest overall results in Thanksgiving box office history.
Record Thanksgiving Hauls in the Past
The Thanksgiving holiday has not seen a box office haul exceeding $200 million since 2019, according to Comscore data. The highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend occurred in 2018, with Ralph Breaks the Internet, Creed II, and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald generating a combined total of $315 million. The second-highest haul came in 2013, with ticket sales reaching $294.2 million during the same five-day period.
Thanksgiving’s Importance for Movie Theaters
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, stated that Thanksgiving is the most crucial holiday period for movie theaters as it sets the tone for the final weeks of the year. The performance of films during this time will shape the perception of the industry’s annual box office revenue.
Disney’s Need for an Animation Win
Disney is hoping Moana 2 will revive its track record in animation. After dominating the Thanksgiving box office for years with films from Pixar and Disney Animation, the studio has recently fallen short of expectations. Past releases like Moana (2016), Coco (2017), and Frozen II (2019) enjoyed strong showings during the holiday period, but more recent films such as Encanto (2021), Strange World (2022), and Wish (2023) struggled to replicate that success.
Moana 2 Positioned for Success
Moana 2 is poised to outperform these recent post-pandemic animated releases. The film arrives a year after the original Moana became the top-streamed film for kids and families. Additionally, Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2 performed strongly earlier in 2024, debuting to $154.2 million domestically and surpassing $1 billion globally during its full run.
