'Moana 2' Sets Thanksgiving Box Office Record With $221 Million USD Debut
‘Moana 2’ went up against ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II,’ coming out on top.
Disney‘s Moana 2 has taken a the crown with a Thanksgiving box office record.
The Polynesian animated film recorded a $221 million USD debut over the course of the five-day holiday frame. Moana 2 breaks the previous record set by 2019’s Frozen II which had a $125 million USD debut and 2013’s Hunger Games: Catching Fire at $109 million USD. This marks the largest five-day debut in history, also overtaking Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie behemoth in 2023. The three-day tally also marks the best start for Walt Disney Animation. So far, the sequel hit far above early estimates of $135 million to $145 million USD.
Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement, “This is a moment to celebrate, and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.” The animation went up against Universal’s adaptation of Wicked and Paramount’s action epic Gladiator II. Together, the three big-budget blockbusters recorded an approximate $422 million USD for Thanksgiving weekend. Wicked was No. 2 in the box office with $117.5 million USD over the five-day holiday stretch.
