Thanks to an optimistic rabbit and a wily red fox — and don’t forget about the Witches of Oz — the Thanksgiving box office was a needed win for both theater owners and animated family films.
Disney’s critical and audience darling Zootopia 2 led the parade with a near-best five-day North American start of $156 million and an astonishing $400 million overseas for a record-smashing global start of $556 million — the biggest worldwide start of all time for an animated film and the fourth best of any Hollywood movie, among numerous other records.
Fellow Thanksgiving tentpole Wicked: For Good, which opened a week ago, cooked up an estimated $93 million for the five days, putting its 10-day domestic cume at $270.4 million as it approaches the $400 million mark globally in another key milestone.
Zootopia‘s better-than-expected launch was due in large part to China, where it secured the top animated opening of all time with $272 million and the second-biggest launch of all time, only behind fellow Disney/Marvel tentpole Avengers: Endgame, which debuted to more than $300 million in China in 2019. And it is the biggest launch for a Hollywood title since May 2021, while nabbing the biggest Saturday of all time with $104 million.
It’s safe to assume that Walt Disney Animation Studios has another billion-dollar hit on its hands, considering the first Zootopia opened to just $75 million on its way to topping $1.025 billion globally, not adjusted for inflation. “The incredible response to Zootopia 2 reflects both its worldwide appeal and the remarkable work of our filmmakers and cast. It’s a proud moment for Disney Animation and all of us at Disney, not to mention a great way to start the holiday season,” said Disney entertainment co-chair Alan Bergman, whose film empire will open James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash over Christmas.
Other major records broken globally by Zootopia 2, not adjusted for inflation: highest global sequel opening since 2021; highest global debut of 2025 to date; highest global opening for an animated sequel ever; highest global opening for any animated film in Disney history.
Domestically, the pic served up the second-biggest Thanksgiving feast of all time behind Moana 2, which posted a five-day debut of $225.1 million last Thanksgiving, including $139.8 million for the three-day weekend proper (Zootopia 2‘s three-day number is $96.8 million).
Zootopia 2 has been doing eye-popping business since launching across North America on Wednesday, reflecting the pent-up demand for family fare that strikes the right chord. Zootopia 2 boasts glowing reviews and stellar exits, including an A CinemaScore and a 95 percent audience ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.
The buddy cop comedy film reunites optimistic young rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and sly red fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), who are newly partnered on the police force overseen by the intimidating cape buffalo Chief Bogo (Idris Elba). Despite their previous success, things aren’t going smoothly for the pair, who are instructed to track down an interloping snake (Ke Huy Quan voices the new character).
Elsewhere, Wicked: For Good crossed the $200 million mark in North America on Thanksgiving Day after opening Nov. 21. Director Jon M. Chu’s second installment in the ambitious adaptation of the hit Broadway musical and book is likewise one of the top holiday earners of all time.
The movie about the Witches of Oz — played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — smashed numerous records in its global box office debut last weekend, including passing up the first Wicked to rank as the top opening of all time for a Broadway musical adaptation and one of the best showings among any musical.
Overseas, it earned another $29.4 million over Thanksgiving weekend for a foreign tally of $122.8 and a worldwide total of $393.3 million, according to Sunday estimates.
Wicked: For Good is pacing on par with Wicked.
In terms of overall Thanksgiving revenue, this year had no chance of matching last year’s record holiday, when Wicked and Moana 2 were joined on the marquee by Red One and Gladiator. “While far short of last year’s record-breaking Thanksgiving frame, this year nonetheless delivered a solid holiday corridor for movie theaters. With the year-over-year advantage versus 2024 at a razor-thin 1.3 percent the industry will need to bank another $1.2 billion through January 31 to hit the $9 billion threshold for annual domestic box office,” says Comscore chief box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Another new entry in some cinemas was Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, from Netflix. The streamer doesn’t report box office grosses, but those with access to numbers estimate it may have earned roughly $2.3 million. All the major circuits refused to play the pic because of windowing issues.
At the specialty box office, Chloé Zhao’s Oscar contender Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel about William Shakespeare, opened to a promising $1.4 million from 119 theaters in 28 markets, putting its five-day location average at $11,345.
Hament — starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal — made headlines at the fall film festivals, sweeping audience awards from Toronto to BFI London, among other fests. Focus Features picked up rights to the film from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin and Sam Mendes’ London production company. It will make a major expansion next weekend, expanding nationwide.
A24’s Eternity struggled in its debut, opening to $2.4 million from 1,348 cinemas.
Among holdovers, coming in third in North America was Lionsgate’s holdover Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which has now earned $49.7 million domestically and $187 million globally.
20th Century and Disney’s Predator: Badlands, coming in fourth, is now officially the top-grossing title in the franchise with a domestic cume through Sunday of $85 million and $173.8 million globally. Paramount’s’ The Running Man rounded out the top five in North America; it has now earned $34 million domestically and $26.3 million overseas for a tepid worldwide cume of $60.5 million.
