In an impressive performance at the box office, Disney’s animated film “Moana 2” has secured the top spot for the second consecutive weekend. According to studio estimates, the movie generated $52 million this past weekend, bringing its domestic total to an impressive $300 million and a worldwide total of $600 million. This success marks a new record for films released the weekend after Thanksgiving, surpassing the previous record held by “Frozen II” in 2019.
Originally intended as a Disney+ series, “Moana 2” has rapidly climbed the ranks, now sitting among the top five highest-grossing films of the year. Disney has had a robust showing this year, with three films, including “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” making it into this elite group. Additionally, audiences can look forward to another major release from the studio: Barry Jenkins’ “Mufasa,” scheduled for December 20.
While “Moana 2” shines at the box office, other new releases had a tough time competing. The horror comedy “Y2K” and the Jude Law-led crime thriller “The Order” couldn’t capture much interest. However, with popular films like “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” still drawing large crowds, newcomers faced an uphill battle.
In second place, “Wicked” earned $34.9 million over the weekend, raising its domestic total to $320.5 million and its global earnings to $455.6 million. “Gladiator II” followed in third with $12.5 million, while the holiday release “Red One” secured $7 million.
Industry experts anticipate a strong finish to the year, with Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, predicting that 2023 could break the $8.5 billion mark at the box office. This would be a significant recovery for the industry, which has been gradually bouncing back since the pandemic disrupted entertainment norms. Just last year, the box office exceeded $9 billion, showing signs of resilience.
Though recent newcomers struggled, there were highlights among the mix. The tenth-anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” outperformed some new films, bringing in approximately $4.4 million despite only being shown in 165 theaters.
The upcoming weekend promises to bring new excitement with larger films set to debut, including Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” and the animated feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.” As the holiday season continues, audiences can expect a diverse array of films hitting theaters.
Here’s a summary of the weekend’s estimated ticket sales from U.S. and Canadian theaters:
1. “Moana 2” – $52 million
2. “Wicked” – $34.9 million
3. “Gladiator II” – $12.5 million
4. “Red One” – $7 million
5. “Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2” – $4.9 million
6. “Interstellar” re-release – $4.4 million
7. “Solo Leveling – ReAwakening” – $2.4 million
8. “Y2K” – $2.1 million
9. “for KING + COUNTRY’S: A Drummer Boy Christmas” – $2.1 million
10. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” – $1.5 million.
