They made history.
This year’s Thanksgiving weekend has set a new box office record, driven by a wave of major movie releases that attracted large audiences to theaters. The holiday period saw three major films generating significant box office revenue, helping to propel the weekend to a total of $420 million, according to Comscore data. This marks the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend ever, surpassing the previous record of $315.6 million set in 2018.
Among the standouts, Disney’s Moana II led the charge, earning $221 million across North America since its release on Wednesday. The film set a new record for the biggest five-day opening ever, including the highest Thanksgiving debut in history. This surpassed previous records held by The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Frozen 2. The sequel, which follows Moana on a quest to break a curse and save her people, significantly exceeded expectations, nearly by $100 million.
Other notable films contributing to the box office success include Wicked, a Broadway adaptation that earned an estimated $117.5 million, and Gladiator II, which brought in $44 million over the five-day period. Wicked, with its star-studded cast including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, became the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in U.S. history. Both films, which opened before the Thanksgiving weekend, sparked a buzz reminiscent of last summer’s Barbenheimer phenomenon. Fans dubbed the combination of Wicked and Gladiator II as “Glicked,” leading to widespread anticipation.
The combination of family-friendly fare with action-packed blockbusters helped boost theater attendance. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, attributed the success of the weekend to the strategic timing of releases. The day before Thanksgiving, just as families were gathering and children were off from school, set the perfect stage for Moana II to build momentum and dominate the box office.
Overall, this holiday season’s box office surge marks a high point for the movie industry and sets a new benchmark for what’s possible during the Thanksgiving weekend. With strong attendance and significant box office earnings, movie theaters are poised for a strong finish to the year.
