Box Office: How ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ Fueled Biggest Thanksgiving on Record

As a film enthusiast with over three decades of attending movies under my belt, I must say that this Thanksgiving has been nothing short of a cinematic feast! The record-breaking box office haul of “Moana 2”, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” is a testament to the power of good storytelling and the enduring appeal of these beloved franchises.

A threesome of hit movies – “Moana 2”, “Wicked”, and “Gladiator II” – are powering an unprecedented abundance during the Thanksgiving season.

From Wednesday to Sunday this year, a record-breaking $420 million was earned at the domestic box office during Thanksgiving. This surpassed the previous high of $315 million set by the 2018 releases of “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” and “Creed II.” However, since the pandemic, the box office during Thanksgiving has been lackluster. In fact, it hasn’t exceeded $200 million since 2019, and in 2023, it hit an all-time low of only $125 million for films such as Disney’s “Wish,” the “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” and Ridley Scott’s historical drama “Napoleon.

Part Two,” “Inside Out 2,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” dominated the movie theater scene for a while. However, the phenomenon of repeated screenings of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” last year, known as “Barbenheimer,” was more exceptional than common. It’s heartening to see that not only one or two but three significant movies have managed to sell substantial ticket numbers over the holiday period. The trio of films is benefiting from positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth recommendations.

After the pandemic, it appears that all age groups have returned to cinemas. This suggests that all age groups may return to cinemas simultaneously, according to Disney’s Global Theatrical Distribution Head, Tony Chambers.

In a surprising turn of events, Disney’s follow-up to the 2016 movie “Moana,” initially intended for streaming but later moved to cinemas, outperformed its competitors by earning $135 million during the typical weekend and an additional $221 million over the five-day holiday period. This impressive figure surpasses previous records, dethroning Disney’s 2019 sequel “Frozen II” ($125 million over five days) and 2013’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” ($109 million over five days), making it the highest-grossing Thanksgiving frame by a significant margin.

The Universal remake of “Wicked” musical isn’t faring badly on domestic box offices, earning $80 million over the weekend and an additional $37.5 million in the following days, bringing its total to $262 million domestically and $359 million globally after just 10 days. “Gladiator II”, starring Paul Mescal and directed by Ridley Scott, claimed the third spot with $30.7 million over the weekend and an extra $14 million in the five following days, accumulating $111.2 million domestically and $320 million worldwide so far. These three films combined accounted for 75% of all screenings and significantly reduced the current year’s deficit from 10.6% to 6.4% compared to 2023, according to Comscore. While overall revenues still lag behind 2019 by approximately 24%, this week managed to close the gap by 2.5%.

According to senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, it’s a positive trend that when you have the ideal mix of movies at just the right moment, the market can grow to accommodate them. This goes against the usual industry thinking which often prefers to space out blockbusters, even those that appear unrelated. However, this could shift after recent events.

To generate sufficient momentum, Hollywood is eagerly awaiting a strong finish to 2024 at the box office, as the film calendar for that year appears relatively sparse in comparison to previous years due to last year’s dual labor strikes which disrupted production and delayed major releases into 2025 and beyond. Only a few wide releases are scheduled for December, such as Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” and Warner Bros.’ “The War of the Rohirrim,” both set for release on December 13th. Other notable releases in December include Disney’s “Mufasa,” Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” Focus Features’ remake of “Nosferatu,” and a selection of arthouse films like A24’s “Babygirl” and Searchlight’s “A Complete Unknown.” While these films have potential, none are expected to bring in the kind of box office revenue that blockbusters like “Avatar,” “Star Wars,” or “Spider-Man” have in the past, to both end the year on a high note and sustain the initial weeks of 2025.

According to David A. Gross, the owner of Franchise Entertainment Research, Thanksgiving moviegoing is breaking records and experiencing significant growth. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire business is back on track or doing well. Some parts of the industry are thriving while others are struggling. The year 2024 has been unpredictable and tumultuous at the box office. It remains to be seen how fully the industry recovers in the coming years.

2024-12-02 01:46

Box Office: How ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ Fueled Biggest Thanksgiving on Record

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