Box Office

Walt Disney Animation’s hit film Moana 2 is continuing to break records in its second weekend, closing in on an impressive global total of $600 million.

The sequel firmly holds the No. 1 spot with a projected three-day earnings of $50 million to $55 million — a record-breaking amount for the weekend right after Thanksgiving. The previous record was held by another Disney movie, Frozen II, which earned $35.1 million, unadjusted for inflation.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Universal’s Wicked also remains a strong contender and is anticipated to take in another $32.7 million in its third weekend. The robust performance of these titles, combined with Paramount’s Gladiator II, is expected to boost overall domestic revenue by 100 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Just a few weeks ago, there were concerns in Hollywood that the total revenue for the year might not reach $8 billion, a drop from $9 billion in 2023. Currently, it appears that revenue may total between $8.5 billion and $8.6 billion, reflecting a 4 percent decline. (Before Thanksgiving, the shortfall was over 11 percent.)

Moana 2 garnered a substantial $11.7 million on Friday alone, surpassing the entire domestic gross of Moana ($248.7 million) in just 10 days post-release. The sequel’s domestic earnings totaled $259.7 million by Friday, on track to exceed $300 million by Sunday. Its global box office is projected to reach between $590 million and $600 million by Sunday, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year and giving Disney three out of the top five slots (with Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine filling the other two).

Wicked brought in $9.6 million on Friday, followed by Gladiator II which is estimated to earn $13 million over the entire weekend, culminating in a domestic total of $133.2 million by Sunday.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Sign up for THR’s Newsletter. For the most recent updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.