Disney’s Animated Sequel Dominates Box Office
Walt Disney Animation’s Moana 2 is making waves, racking up an early global haul of $600 million in its second weekend. The sequel has already outpaced the original Moana’s lifetime global gross of $582 million at current exchange rates.
Securing its spot at No. 1, Moana 2 earned an estimated $52 million over three days from 4,300 theaters in North America. This marks the highest-ever gross for the post-Thanksgiving weekend, smashing the previous record set by Disney’s Frozen II at $35.1 million (unadjusted for inflation). On Friday, the film added $11.7 million, pushing its domestic total to $248.7 million after just 10 days—overtaking the original Moana‘s lifetime domestic earnings. Despite a 63% drop from the Thanksgiving weekend, the sequel remains unstoppable.
A Global Blockbuster
Internationally, Moana 2 brought in $103.4 million, pushing its overseas total to $300 million. Combined with its domestic earnings, the film’s $600 million global total makes it the fifth-biggest release of the year. Disney now holds three of the top five films of 2024, including Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Other Box Office Highlights
Universal’s Wicked also held strong, adding $34.9 million domestically in its third weekend for a North American total of $320.5 million. The Broadway musical adaptation has become the highest-grossing of its kind, surpassing Grease’s $188 million (unadjusted for inflation). Globally, Wicked has reached $455.5 million, with $26.9 million from overseas markets.
Paramount’s Gladiator II secured third place with $12.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $133.7 million. Meanwhile, the rerelease of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar in honor of its 10th anniversary earned $4.5 million from just 166 IMAX theaters, boasting a stunning location average of $70,000 per theater and a sixth-place finish.
A Strong Finish for 2024 Revenue
The combined success of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II pushed domestic revenue to 90% higher than the same weekend in 2023. Concerns about annual box office totals falling below $8 billion have eased, with year-end revenue now projected at $8.5–8.6 billion—narrowing the deficit to just 4% compared to 2023.
Indie Films Struggle to Keep Pace
While blockbusters thrived, indie releases faced challenges. A24’s horror-comedy Y2K debuted at No. 9 with just $2.1 million from 2,108 locations, receiving poor reviews and a C- CinemaScore. Meanwhile, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, an awards contender starring Daniel Craig, expanded to 47 theaters and grossed $405,900 for a modest total of $866,823.
Disney’s Moana 2 continues to reign supreme, setting the stage for a record-breaking holiday season at the box office.
