A Thanksgiving Box Office Success Story
The Thanksgiving box office has proven to be a significant success, thanks to the combined efforts of animated films and major Hollywood releases. This season has been a win for both theater owners and family-oriented movies, with several notable titles making their mark.
Disney’s Zootopia 2 emerged as the standout film of the holiday weekend. The movie had a near-best five-day North American start of $158 million, while also achieving an astonishing $401.5 million overseas. This led to a record-smashing global start of $559.5 million, surpassing previous estimates of $556 million worldwide. The film set multiple records, including the biggest worldwide start of all time for an animated film and the fourth best of any Hollywood movie.
Another major release, Wicked: For Good, which opened a week prior, continued to perform strongly. It earned $92 million over the five days, bringing its 10-day domestic total to $269.4 million. Globally, it is approaching the $400 million mark, marking another key milestone.
Zootopia 2’s Record-Breaking Performance
Zootopia 2’s impressive launch was largely driven by strong performances in China. The film secured the top animated opening of all time there with at least $272 million, making it the second-biggest launch of all time, only behind Avengers: Endgame. It also became the biggest Hollywood title since May 2021 and achieved the biggest Saturday of all time with $104 million.
Considering the first Zootopia opened to just $75 million on its way to topping $1.025 billion globally, it’s safe to say that Zootopia 2 could be another billion-dollar hit. Disney entertainment co-chair Alan Bergman praised the film, highlighting its worldwide appeal and the hard work of the filmmakers and cast.
Other records broken by Zootopia 2 include:
- Highest global sequel opening since 2021
- Highest global debut of 2025 to date
- Highest global opening for an animated sequel ever
- Highest global opening for any animated film in Disney history
Domestically, Zootopia 2 ranked as the second-biggest Thanksgiving feast of all time, behind Moana 2, which posted a five-day debut of $225.1 million last Thanksgiving.
Wicked: For Good and Other Holiday Highlights
Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu, crossed the $200 million mark in North America on Thanksgiving Day after opening on November 21. The film about the Witches of Oz, played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, smashed numerous records in its global box office debut. It passed up the first Wicked to rank as the top opening of all time for a Broadway musical adaptation.
Overseas, Wicked: For Good earned another $28.4 million over Thanksgiving weekend, bringing its foreign tally to $121.6 million and a worldwide total of $393.3 million. The film is pacing on par with its predecessor, Wicked.
Other Notable Releases
New entries in some cinemas included Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, from Netflix. While the streamer doesn’t report box office grosses, estimates suggest it may have earned roughly $2.3 million. However, all major circuits refused to play the film due to windowing issues.
At the specialty box office, Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, opened to a promising $1.4 million from 119 theaters in 28 markets. The film, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, made headlines at fall film festivals and will make a major nationwide expansion next weekend.
A24’s Eternity struggled in its debut, opening to $2.4 million from 1,348 cinemas.
Holdovers and Top Performers
Among holdovers, Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t came in third in North America, earning $49.7 million domestically and $187 million globally.
Predator: Badlands, from 20th Century and Disney, came in fourth, becoming the top-grossing title in the franchise with a domestic cume through Sunday of $85 million and $173.8 million globally.
Paramount’s The Running Man rounded out the top five in North America, with $34 million domestically and $26.3 million overseas for a tepid worldwide cume of $60.5 million.
Conclusion
This year’s Thanksgiving box office may not have matched last year’s record-breaking frame, but it still delivered a solid holiday corridor for movie theaters. With the industry needing to bank another $1.2 billion through January 31 to hit the $9 billion threshold for annual domestic box office, the success of Zootopia 2 and Wicked: For Good is a positive sign for the future of cinema.
