Ice is Back with a Brand New Invention
If the Disney animated musical sequel hadn’t topped the box office, it would have been as if hell “froze” over. But Frozen II opened with a hot $130.2M domestic weekend, in line with pre-release projections.
Disney’s estimate kept going higher and higher. The studio’s Saturday weekend projection was $120M, then their Sunday revised estimate rose to $127M, and by Monday’s weekend actuals had slightly topped $130M.
That’s +93.2% above the original film’s three-day Thanksgiving weekend opening, and even +39.1% above its five-day opening if including the original’s Wednesday and Thursday.
Perhaps the better comparison is to other recent Disney animated sequels. It started +7.7% ahead of Toy Story 4, but -3.5% behind Finding Dory.
The estimated audience demographics for Frozen II were 59% female and 31% under age 11.
Factoring in its $228.2M overseas opening, the film’s global debut totalled $358.4M. That’s the new record for both highest animated overseas opening previously held by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs with $152M, and highest animated global opening previously held by this summer’s The Lion King with $244.5M.
Downshifting
Last weekend’s leader, Disney/Fox’s racecar drama Ford v. Ferrari, put the brakes on with a -50.0% decline to second place with $15.7M.
Read our interview with Ford v. Ferrari director James Mangold.
The “Day” Has Come
Sony’s Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood began with a gentle $13.2M in third place.
That’s a bit below most pre-release projections, which had it in the $14M to $18M range. But with very positive word of mouth and a likely choice for families over the holiday season, look for this title to hold well in the weeks ahead.
Read our interview with co-screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue.
Take ‘Em to the Bridge
STX’s action movie 21 Bridges couldn’t bridge the gap with a fourth place start of $9.2M, in line with pre-release projections.
The audience demographics were 56% male and 75% over age 25.
Billion-Dollar Movies
Warner Bros.’ Joker crossed the $1B mark globally last weekend, last Friday to be exact. This weekend it continued to pad its total, having now earned $708.8M overseas and $1.03B globally.
Frozen 2 is virtually certain to cross the billion-dollar mark as well, likely at some point in December or maybe January. The original earned $1.27B globally.
Limited Releases
Frozen 2 had the weekend’s top per-screen average at $29,338. Not too far behind was Focus Features’ legal drama Dark Waters, opening with $102,606 in four theaters for a $25,651 average.
How’d This Weekend Compare?
Total box office this weekend was $204.4M. That’s +87.3% above last weekend but -5.6% below this same three-day frame last year during Thanksgiving weekend, when Ralph Breaks the Internet led with $56.2M.
The Year So Far
Year-to-date box office stands at $9.85B. That’s -7.2% behind this same date last year, down from -6.4% after last weekend.
That’s also the lowest YTD level vs. 2018 since after the second weekend of July, at -8.6%.
Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)
FRI, NOV. 22 – SUN, NOV. 24
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frozen II | $130,263,358 | — | 4,440 | — | $29,339 | $130,263,358 | 1 | Disney |
| 2 | Ford v. Ferrari | $15,730,678 | -50% | 3,528 | 0 | $4,459 | $57,720,248 | 2 | 20th Century Fox |
| 3 | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | $13,251,238 | — | 3,235 | — | $4,096 | $13,251,238 | 1 | Sony Pictures |
| 4 | 21 Bridges | $9,250,117 | — | 2,665 | — | $3,471 | $9,250,117 | 1 | STX Entertainment |
| 5 | Midway | $4,640,673 | -45% | 2,627 | -615 | $1,767 | $43,048,234 | 3 | Lionsgate |
| 6 | Playing with Fire | $4,515,388 | -46% | 2,760 | -425 | $1,636 | $31,522,035 | 3 | Paramount Pictures |
| 7 | The Good Liar | $3,401,194 | -39% | 2,454 | 15 | $1,386 | $11,791,988 | 2 | Warner Bros. |
| 8 | Charlie’s Angels | $3,236,460 | -61% | 3,452 | 0 | $938 | $14,002,052 | 2 | Sony Pictures |
| 9 | Last Christmas | $3,099,535 | -52% | 2,411 | -1043 | $1,286 | $27,851,925 | 3 | Universal Pictures |
| 10 | Joker | $2,746,029 | -49% | 1,410 | -927 | $1,948 | $326,857,842 | 8 | Warner Bros. |
| 11 | Harriet | $2,330,100 | -49% | 1,346 | -665 | $1,731 | $36,024,155 | 4 | Focus Features |
| 12 | Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | $2,051,520 | -58% | 1,605 | -944 | $1,278 | $108,974,578 | 6 | Disney |
| 13 | Doctor Sleep | $1,834,377 | -69% | 1,476 | -2379 | $1,243 | $28,751,119 | 3 | Warner Bros. |
| 14 | Terminator: Dark Fate | $1,250,589 | -71% | 1,022 | -1455 | $1,224 | $59,581,886 | 4 | Paramount |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jojo Rabbit | $1,588,234 | -42% | 787 | -208 | $2,018 | $16,140,947 | 6 | Fox Searchlight |
| 2 | Parasite | $1,255,325 | -33% | 433 | -187 | $2,899 | $16,498,762 | 7 | NEON |
| 3 | Zombieland: Double Tap | $540,733 | -72% | 455 | -952 | $1,188 | $71,541,944 | 6 | Sony Pictures |
| 4 | The Addams Family | $474,425 | -73% | 837 | -998 | $567 | $95,514,844 | 7 | United Artists Releasing |
| 5 | Black and Blue | $320,106 | -65% | 260 | -298 | $1,231 | $21,395,063 | 5 | Sony / Screen Gems |
| 6 | Countdown | $294,113 | -75% | 298 | -648 | $987 | $24,894,793 | 5 | STX Entertainment |
| 7 | Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in the Forest | $232,452 | — | 276 | — | $842 | $673,932 | 1 | Trafalgar Releasing |
| 8 | Pagalpanti | $227,714 | — | 117 | — | $1,946 | $227,714 | 1 | Eros International |
| 9 | The Lighthouse | $180,967 | -53% | 113 | -177 | $1,601 | $10,171,652 | 6 | A24 |
| 10 | Abominable | $143,880 | -57% | 221 | -78 | $651 | $59,941,385 | 9 | Universal Pictures |
| 11 | Pain and Glory | $136,730 | -36% | 217 | -9 | $630 | $3,322,264 | 8 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 12 | Downton Abbey | $124,500 | -59% | 159 | -144 | $783 | $96,550,930 | 10 | Focus Features |
| 13 | Gemini Man | $66,027 | -43% | 108 | -68 | $611 | $48,419,465 | 7 | Paramount Pictures |
| 14 | Arctic Dogs | $55,026 | -73% | 195 | -161 | $282 | $5,589,952 | 4 | Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures |
| 15 | It Chapter Two | $38,447 | -35% | 105 | -27 | $366 | $211,543,420 | 12 | Warner Bros |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honey Boy | $252,322 | 24% | 44 | 27 | $5,735 | $922,719 | 3 | Amazon Studios |
| 2 | Waves | $165,936 | 24% | 21 | 17 | $7,902 | $333,167 | 2 | A24 |
| 3 | Dark Waters | $102,606 | — | 4 | — | $25,652 | $102,606 | 1 | Focus Features |
| 4 | Better Days | $87,789 | -73% | 35 | -53 | $2,508 | $1,835,039 | 3 | Well Go USA Entertainment |
| 5 | Motherless Brooklyn | $71,295 | -86% | 86 | -525 | $829 | $9,111,366 | 4 | Warner Bros. |
| 6 | Jay & Silent Bob Reboot | $64,688 | -63% | 5 | -5 | $12,938 | $2,762,773 | 6 | Fathom Events / Saban Films |
| 7 | Judy | $40,249 | -61% | 58 | -65 | $694 | $23,849,438 | 9 | Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment |
| 8 | Hustlers | $36,128 | -55% | 75 | -43 | $482 | $104,872,008 | 11 | STX Entertainment |
| 9 | The Lion King | $33,605 | -42% | 87 | -29 | $386 | $543,601,690 | 19 | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 10 | Ad Astra | $28,785 | -33% | 50 | -28 | $576 | $50,139,904 | 10 | 20th Century Fox |
| 11 | No Safe Spaces | $24,264 | -79% | 24 | -31 | $1,011 | $434,873 | 5 | Atlas Distribution |
| 12 | Everybody’s Everything | $23,971 | -60% | 19 | -10 | $1,262 | $514,805 | 2 | Gunpowder & Sky |
| 13 | Once Upon a Time In Hollywood | $20,361 | -19% | 25 | -4 | $814 | $140,949,943 | 18 | Sony Pictures |
| 14 | Frankie | $17,835 | 120% | 33 | 18 | $540 | $129,588 | 5 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 15 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | $16,265 | -44% | 39 | -26 | $417 | $20,411,823 | 16 | Roadside Attractions |
| 16 | Toy Story 4 | $16,231 | -46% | 48 | -22 | $338 | $434,010,223 | 23 | Disney |
| 17 | The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful | $14,949 | — | 10 | — | $1,495 | $34,415 | 2 | CJ Entertainment |
| 18 | Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice | $13,801 | -62% | 25 | -10 | $552 | $4,188,614 | 12 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 19 | The Current War | $13,465 | -70% | 35 | -108 | $385 | $5,918,827 | 5 | 101 Studios |
| 20 | Varda by Agnes | $12,390 | — | 2 | — | $6,195 | $12,390 | 1 | Janus Films |
| 21 | Synonyms | $12,356 | 23% | 12 | 5 | $1,030 | $141,624 | 5 | Kino Lorber |
| 22 | Citizen K | $10,571 | — | 1 | — | $10,571 | $10,571 | 1 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 23 | Mickey and the Bear | $7,603 | -19% | 4 | 3 | $1,901 | $18,838 | 2 | Utopia |
| 24 | My Dear Liar | $6,918 | -61% | 3 | 0 | $2,306 | $90,545 | 3 | CMC |
| 25 | The Kingmaker | $6,661 | -51% | 7 | -1 | $952 | $55,296 | 3 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 26 | The Warrior Queen of Jhansi | $3,326 | -97% | 20 | -257 | $166 | $174,102 | 2 | Roadside Attractions |
| 27 | Shooting the Mafia | $3,251 | — | 2 | — | $1,626 | $3,251 | 1 | Cohen Media Group |
| 28 | Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project | $3,213 | -61% | 3 | 2 | $1,071 | $19,836 | 2 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 29 | When Lambs Become Lions | $3,155 | — | 1 | — | $3,155 | $3,155 | 1 | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
| 30 | Matthias & Maxime | $3,056 | -46% | 5 | -3 | $611 | $364,207 | 7 | |
| 31 | Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound | $2,808 | 7% | 8 | -1 | $351 | $45,230 | 5 | Matson Films |
| 32 | Ága | $2,550 | 419% | 1 | 0 | $2,550 | $31,562 | 12 | Big World Pictures |
| 33 | American Dharma | $2,090 | -65% | 3 | -5 | $697 | $32,279 | 4 | Utopia |
| 34 | Immortal Hero | $2,006 | -15% | 5 | 0 | $401 | $42,941 | 6 | Freestyle Releasing |
| 35 | Where’s My Roy Cohn? | $1,955 | -63% | 5 | -14 | $391 | $693,449 | 10 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 36 | Gift | $1,778 | 176% | 5 | -3 | $356 | $28,738 | 7 | Matson Films |
| 37 | Mr. Klein | $1,674 | -63% | 2 | -1 | $837 | $176,343 | 12 | Rialto Pictures |
| 38 | The Killing Floor | $1,583 | — | 1 | — | $1,583 | $1,583 | 1 | Film Movement |
| 39 | Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins | $1,105 | -74% | 5 | -6 | $221 | $691,302 | 13 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 40 | Edie | $990 | — | 2 | — | $495 | $67,633 | 12 | Music Box Films |
| 41 | By the Grace of God | $883 | -66% | 5 | -2 | $177 | $54,763 | 6 | Music Box Films |
| 42 | The Woman Who Loves Giraffes | $813 | -13% | 1 | 0 | $813 | $11,621 | 8 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 43 | Give Me Liberty | $800 | -24% | 2 | 1 | $400 | $229,749 | 14 | Music Box Films |
| 44 | Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer | $735 | -93% | 3 | -9 | $245 | $16,743 | 2 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 45 | Anthropocene: The Human Epoch | $712 | — | 1 | — | $712 | $103,965 | 9 | Kino Lorber |
| 46 | David Crosby: Remember My Name | $629 | — | 7 | — | $90 | $730,320 | 19 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 47 | Western Stars | $480 | -95% | 12 | -132 | $40 | $1,578,434 | 6 | Warner Bros. |
| 48 | The Golden Glove | $450 | 188% | 3 | 1 | $150 | $5,963 | 9 | Strand Releasing |
| 49 | Aquarela | $333 | -81% | 3 | 1 | $111 | $301,161 | 15 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 50 | Maiden | $260 | -92% | 2 | -2 | $130 | $3,159,132 | 22 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 51 | Stuffed | $163 | — | 1 | — | $163 | $9,406 | 6 | Music Box Films |
| 52 | Desolation Center | $132 | -89% | 1 | -2 | $132 | $31,782 | 11 | Matson Films |
| 53 | Gregory’s Girl | $37 | — | 1 | — | $37 | $7,321 | 8 | Film Movement |
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