By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Walt Disney ‘s animated musical “Moana 2” debuted with an estimated $368 million in global ticket sales through Sunday and combined with “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” to deliver the biggest Thanksgiving weekend in U.S. and Canadian box office history.
A sequel to the 2016 Walt Disney (NYSE:) animated film, “Moana 2” reunites Auli’i Cravalho as the wayfinding title character with demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, on a voyage to break a curse and reunite the people of the ocean.
Initially envisioned as a series for the Disney+ streaming service, “Moana 2” racked up a record $221 million from domestic ticket sales over the Thanksgiving period from Wednesday through Sunday. That surpassed “Frozen 2’s” holiday haul of $125 million in 2019.
For all movies in theaters this weekend, the domestic total hit $420 million, smashing the 2018 Thanksgiving record of $315.6 million led by “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Creed II.”
The results provided Hollywood studios and cinemas a reason to celebrate after prolonged closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns that audiences might abandon theaters in favor of staying home to watch streaming TV.
“If you make the right movie, a movie with heart and humor that appeals to audiences, they will come to the theater,” Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman said at a recent “Moana 2” screening in Los Angeles.
They also showed Hollywood had rebounded from disruptions caused by the 2023 strikes by writers and actors. Chains such as AMC Entertainment (NYSE:) and Cineworld were left with a thin schedule for moviegoers in the first half of this year.
“Wicked,” the adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical that is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” brought in $117.5 million over Thanksgiving. Its global total after two weekends in theaters reached $359.2 million, distributor Universal Pictures said.
Action (WA:) epic “Gladiator II,” the sequel to a best picture winner two decades ago, hauled in $44 million domestically over the holiday and brought its global total to $320 million.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said this weekend’s turnout would likely fuel strong sales in the coming weeks. He cited a number of potential hits reaching theaters in December to “help the industry take the year out on a high note.”
They include “Kraven the Hunter,” the animated “Lord of the Rings: the War of the Rohirrim,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Mufasa: The Lion King,” he said.
