Thanksgiving 2024 saw a record-breaking turnout at the Hollywood box office, leading the charge this weekend was “Moana 2,” which brought in a whopping $221 million in U.S. ticket sales over the five-day holiday weekend, making it the highest-grossing Thanksgiving release of all time and contributing to a record-breaking holiday box office stretch.
“Moana 2” is a sequel to Disney’s 2016 hit, “Moana” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is now shooting the live action remake of the animated classic.
“Moana 2” sales from Wednesday to Sunday shattered the previous $125 million Thanksgiving weekend record set by “Frozen II” in 2019, followed by “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” in 2013 ($110 million), according to data from Box Office Mojo.
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This is reportedly the highest collection recorded, especially in the post-COVID climate, where streaming has taken a significant bite out of in-person cinema attendance. The marketplace has been itching for a turnaround in the post-pandemic, post-writer’s strike era of movie-going, and it seems Disney has met that need with “Moana 2.” The Walt Disney Productions had been on a downward spiral with a string of recent flops like “Lightyear” and “Strange World”. Though “Inside Out 2” broke the streak, it is the performance of “Moana 2” that has cemented Disney’s comeback as a Hollywood powerhouse once again.
“Moana 2,” along with “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” amounted to a Thanksgiving box office week of nearly $420 million, according to Box Office Mojo, surpassing 2018’s record for the best Thanksgiving box office week in history.
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Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott, while speaking to USA Today, said that he was working on “Gladiator 3”, while “Wicked” is already set up for a sequel that is primed for release next year. It seems that the success of sequels may indeed make Hollywood lean into existing storylines rather than original ideas. We will have to wait and see if they are able to replicate the magic yet again next year with similar blockbuster numbers.
These are the top 10 movies at the box office right now:
- Moana 2 ($221 million)
- Wicked ($117.5 million)
- Gladiator II ($44 million)
- Red One ($18.7 million)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ($4.9 million)
- Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin ($3.5 million)
- Venom: The Last Dance ($3.1 million)
- The Wild Robot ($1 million)
- A Real Pain ($900,000)
- Conclave ($800,000)