Thanksgiving Box Office Primed for Success: ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Wicked’ Lead the charge
The Thanksgiving box office is shaping up to be a significant event for Hollywood, with Disney‘s Zootopia 2 poised to deliver a significant opening. Current projections estimate a Wednesday-Sunday debut of $125 million or more for the animated sequel.This potential result could position Zootopia 2 as the second-highest Thanksgiving opening ever, trailing only last year’s Moana 2 ($225.4 million).
Disney’s dominance at thanksgiving is well-established.The studio already holds nine of the top ten highest-grossing Thanksgiving five-day openings, showcasing a consistent ability to draw audiences during the holiday. This track record builds confidence in Zootopia 2‘s potential performance.
Zootopia 2‘s presales are mirroring those of Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which launched with a $154.2 million three-day opening in june 2024. This comparison suggests a strong level of audience anticipation and a likely prosperous debut for the sequel.
Alongside Zootopia 2,Global’s Wicked: For Good is expected to contribute significantly to the holiday box office. Opening the pre-Thanksgiving weekend, Wicked is projected to earn around $112.5 million. This would mark the highest opening ever for a feature adaptation of a Broadway musical.
The combined success of Zootopia 2 and Wicked is crucial for the industry. Studios and exhibitors are hoping for a robust holiday period to offset a post-Labor Day slump that has lagged behind 2023’s performance.Last year,Wicked,Moana 2,and gladiator II collectively generated a record-breaking $420 million over the Thanksgiving five-day window.
Tho, replicating that record will require exceptional performance from both new releases. A key question remains: can new releases attract the male adult audience that Gladiator II served last year? Gladiator II opened to $55 million pre-Thanksgiving and earned $44.2 million over the five-day holiday, reaching a ten-day total of $111.4 million.
Two films are vying to fill that gap: Paramount’s Running Man and Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Both titles,geared towards a male audience,are scheduled to open on November 14th. Their performance will be a critical factor in determining the overall success of the Thanksgiving box office.
Ultimately, the Thanksgiving box office looks promising, driven by the anticipated success of Zootopia 2 and Wicked. The industry will be closely watching to see if these films can deliver the robust results needed to revitalize post-Labor Day numbers and perhaps break existing records.