Will 'Moana 2' break box office records?

Moana 2 is expected to dominate the Thanksgiving holiday box office with a historic performance. Moana 2 was originally developed as a TV series for Disney+ before being adapted into a theatrical film, and is expected to earn at least $175 million in its first five days of release.

Scene from the movie Moana 2

If it hits those numbers, Moana 2 will easily break the record for the biggest Thanksgiving opening of all time, surpassing previous records set by Frozen II ($125 million in its first five days) and Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($109 million in its first five days). Moana 2 's opening day in North America ranks as the third-biggest animated film, behind Incredibles 2 ($71.2 million) and Inside Out 2 ($63.6 million). Globally, Moana 2 has grossed $66.3 million.

But the animated blockbuster directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller isn’t the only thing sparking a resurgence at the box office. Wicked , Universal’s big-budget musical adaptation of the Broadway hit, grossed $20.4 million on Nov. 27 and $97 million in its five days since Nov. 22, and is expected to top $63 million by Thanksgiving.

That means the first installment of the two-part Oz adventure will have grossed more than $240 million in the U.S. over the weekend. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Galinda in the critically acclaimed musical. Wicked 2, which hits theaters next fall, cost a total of $300 million to produce, not including the tens of millions more spent on marketing.

Cynthia Erivo (left) and Ariana Grande in the movie Wicked

Next up is Gladiator II , Paramount's big-budget sequel to the 2000 epic, which grossed $6.6 million on Nov. 27. The film, which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, is expected to earn $28 million at North American theaters this weekend. The film will end the holiday weekend with more than $107 million at the North American box office. However, Gladiator II didn't come cheap, costing $250 million to make.

Critics have been lukewarm on Moana 2 , giving it an average score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. The first film has a devoted fan base that has grown significantly since its 2018 release thanks to streaming. According to Bloomberg , it is one of Disney+'s most popular films, with more than 80 billion minutes watched. Audiences seem to have a better feeling about the sequel than critics, giving it an A- CinemaScore.

Paul Mescal stars in Gladiator II

The voice cast for Moana 2 includes Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, who reprise their roles as the daughter of a Polynesian chief and a demigod. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote hits for the first film like How Far I'll Go, did not contribute new material to the sequel. Instead, Disney tapped Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear to write enough new songs to make the soundtrack a must-buy for families this holiday season.

The strong showings of Moana 2 , Gladiator II , and Wicked are welcome news for an industry that’s just starting to recover from the pandemic shutdown, when the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes led to a slew of delayed releases and fewer big movies hitting theaters. But the trio of blockbusters is changing the landscape and will generate a Thanksgiving box office total of more than $315 million, setting a new milestone.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/moana-2-se-pha-vo-ky-luc-doanh-thu-phong-ve-185241129104405.htm