“Moana 2” leads America’s biggest Thanksgiving weekend box office ever

When it comes to the postpandemic US box office, there’s seemingly no limit to how much a movie can flop... and when there’s a hit? Well, in the words of Disney’s “Moana,” no one knows how far it’ll go.

America’s box office has just enjoyed its highest-grossing Thanksgiving five-day weekend ever, as reported by Deadline, accruing more than $400 million domestically — surpassing the previous record of $315 million set in 2018 for the Wednesday-through-Sunday period. These figures have been largely driven by the success of a trifecta of major movies: approximately 30 million people saw “Moana 2,” “Wicked,” and “Gladiator II” in US theaters over the weekend (though if the portmanteau “Glicked” wasn’t snappy enough, “Glickoana” stands little chance of catching on). 

Individually, these films are hits in their own right. Having earned $221 million domestically, “Moana 2” now has the highest-grossing five-day opening for a movie — smashing the $204.6 million record set by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” last year — as well as for the Thanksgiving weekend overall; “Wicked” is now the highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical, after bringing in $263 million. But together, the three movies have harmonized to create “a national phenomenon,” per AMC CEO Adam Aron.

Keeping in tune

Perhaps most remarkable about the watershed weekend is that these massive takings have come from far fewer total movie releases than in previous years. According to Box Office Mojo data, just 25 movies were released over the Thanksgiving period this year, working out as a ~$16.6 million gross per release on average. The next highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend in 2018 saw 64 movies released, averaging a ~$5 million gross each. 

Still, the three big Thanksgiving blockbusters will likely keep people in seats for weeks to come, with little competition in their respective genres slated until mid-December. Beyond this, being in the sing-along bracket also bodes well for longevity: many of America’s most-streamed movies are wholesome family musicals, and, after AMC warned audiences against singing along, theaters are now offering interactive versions of “Wicked” for the belters among us.