Moana 2 sparks major Thanksgiving box office surge
- Disney's Moana 2 was released on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and is projected to earn between $120 million and $150 million in the box office.
- The overall box office for the Thanksgiving weekend is expected to confidently surpass $200 million.
- This year marks a crucial revival for movie theaters as Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II combine to attract a diverse audience.
In the United States and Canada, the Thanksgiving box office is anticipated to reflect its strongest performance since the pandemic. With the release of Disney's Moana 2 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, analysts predict a box office take of $120 million to $150 million by the end of the holiday weekend. The five-day Thanksgiving period from Wednesday through Sunday is likely to generate over $200 million in total ticket sales, potentially marking the second or third largest Thanksgiving earnings in cinematic history. This resurgence in box office strength is largely attributed to the presence of three major films: Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II. Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, emphasized that this combination of tentpole releases represents a significant opportunity for theaters, which have struggled to attract diverse audiences in the post-pandemic era. The holiday season is crucial for theaters as it plays a vital role in setting the tone for the end-of-year box office performance. Historically, Thanksgiving has been a key period for Disney animated films, but recent releases have fallen short of expectations. Moana 2, in particular, is positioned to outshine its recent predecessors, following the success of its original film. The 2016 release of Moana garnered $82.1 million during its Thanksgiving opening, but subsequent titles like Coco and Ralph Breaks the Internet yielded lower box office figures. Disney is hopeful that this new animated feature will help restore its dominance during the Thanksgiving period.