Los Angeles: Walt Disney’s animated musical Moana 2 delivered an estimated $368 million in global ticket sales over the Thanksgiving weekend, helping to set a new record for the U.S. and Canadian box office. This milestone was achieved with the combined success of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II, making it the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend in history.
As a sequel to the 2016 hit, Moana 2 reunites Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, embarking on a journey to break a curse and reunite the ocean’s people. Initially planned as a Disney+ series, Moana 2 soared with a remarkable $221 million in domestic ticket sales over the holiday period, surpassing the $125 million haul of Frozen 2 in 2019.
Overall, the domestic box office took in $420 million this weekend, smashing the previous Thanksgiving record of $315.6 million set in 2018, which was driven by Ralph Breaks the Internet and Creed II. This achievement marks a major win for Hollywood studios and cinemas, particularly after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about audiences shifting to streaming services.
“If you make the right movie, a movie with heart and humor that appeals to audiences, they will come to the theater,” said Alan Bergman, Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman, during a recent Moana 2 screening in Los Angeles.
The Thanksgiving box office surge also highlights Hollywood’s recovery following last year’s strikes by writers and actors, which left theaters with limited offerings in early 2024. Universal Pictures’ Wicked, based on the beloved Broadway musical, earned $117.5 million over the holiday, bringing its global total to $359.2 million. Paramount’s Gladiator II, a sequel to the 2000 Best Picture winner, grossed $44 million domestically, taking its global total to $320 million.
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Before the weekend, domestic ticket sales for 2024 were nearly 11% behind 2023, according to Comscore data. However, the Thanksgiving weekend results narrowed the deficit to 6.4%. Despite this progress, ticket sales are still 24% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
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Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, noted that the surge at theaters this weekend could lead to continued strong sales in the coming weeks. Several highly anticipated films, such as Kraven the Hunter, the animated Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Mufasa: The Lion King, are expected to fuel further momentum as the year closes out.
