How Far Did ‘Moana’ Go? $80M+ Over Thanksgiving Weekend
Disney has done it again. The studio’s latest animated film, Moana, captured hearts and the box office this weekend. Over the three days, Moana sailed to an estimated $55.5 million.
With a solid $2.6 million Tuesday night, Moana was tracking much better than Tangled and Frozen. By Sunday, the latest Disney princess found herself in the middle of the two. It’s not bad that Moana is slightly frontloaded. However, this may not be the phenomenon Frozen was three years ago. Moana already has made over $81 million through the extended weekend. Tangled grossed $68.7 million at this point, while Frozen cracked $93.9 million. A 53-55% drop next weekend keeps the film on par with the other two princess films. And of course, its “A” grade on Cinemascore will play to its advantage. The field is still wide open between $240-320 million.
After a weak start last weekend, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them found some magical footing over the holiday. The Warner Bros. spin-off dropped 39.4%, pulling in another $45.1 million. That’s the fifth-best second weekend in the franchise. Sorcerer’s Stone, Goblet of Fire, Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Deathly Hallows – Part 2 all bested the new film. Thanksgiving clearly helped what was originally on track for a $200 million finish. With $156 million in 10 days, Fantastic Beasts will rival Doctor Strange’s $230 million towards the finish line. The next few weeks will paint a better picture as Rogue One approaches.
Down 24% from last weekend, Doctor Strange continues to be a Marvel at the box office. The latest chapter of the Cinematic Universe grossed another $13.4 million. That brings the Sorcerer Supreme over the $200 million mark with ease. Within the next day or two, Doctor Strange will pass 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. This is Benedict Cumberbatch’s fourth trip over the milestone and first in a leading role. Marvel should be very pleased how well this installment has performed. $230 million is still possible in the coming weeks.
Brad Pitt’s latest World War II film, Allied, claimed fourth place. The period piece from Paramount opened to $13 million over the standard weekend. Since its release on Wednesday, Allied has pulled in $18 million. For director Robert Zemeckis, that’s his weakest debut besides last year’s disappointment, The Walk, in nearly 25 years. The same goes for Pitt, who has been generating hits with Fury ($23.7 million) and World War Z ($66.4 million). Allied has lost much of its awards buzz as of late. A “B” grade on Cinemascore is decent, just not impressive. Don’t expect a leggy awards season run in the next few weeks.
Paramount’s Arrival wrapped up the Top 5 charts this weekend with $11.3 million. The Amy Adams sci-fi drama dropped 7.3% from last weekend, proving to be a leggy holdover. That puts Arrival in a better position for an impressive 3X multiplier in the coming days. With only Incarnate due out next weekend, expect Arrival to stay one more week in the Top 5. Though, there won’t be a soft drop going into the post-Thanksgiving frame. $80 million remains in play, which allows Arrival to become director Denis Villeneuve’s highest-grossing film to date.
Newcomers Bad Santa 2 and Rules Don’t Apply failed to make the top charts. The Billy Bob Thornton holiday sequel debuted with $6.1 million. Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply managed a mere $1.6 million.
Disney’s Moana came in a few notches lower than my Friday prediction. Allied surpassed my $10.2 million estimate.
Note: These #’s are based on Sunday’s projections and can change with Monday’s actual #’s.
#1 – Moana (NR)
$55.5 million / $81.1 million total
#2 – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (1)
$45.1 million / $156.2 million total
#3 – Doctor Strange (2)
$13.4 million / $205.1 million total
#4 – Allied (NR)
$13.0 million / $18.0 million total
#5 – Arrival (4)
$11.3 million / $62.4 million total
Opening Next Week: Incarnate
Source: Box Office Mojo
