As a seasoned moviegoer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the current state of cinema is nothing short of exhilarating! The recent box office performances are truly historic, and I find myself in awe of the sheer magnitude of success these films are achieving.
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but brag about the incredible success of “Wicked”! It shattered records by earning an astounding $15.8 million on its Monday opening, setting a new November benchmark for first-day ticket sales – unadjusted for inflation!
This new release significantly surpassed the previous record-holder, “Frozen II” from 2019, which earned $12.7 million on its first Monday following its release before Turkey Day. The list of top-performing November Mondays also features “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” from 2013 with $12.3 million and “Skyfall” from 2012 with $11.3 million, both of which were also released around Thanksgiving.
Under the direction of Jon M. Chu, the film adaptation of Wicked, concluded its run on Monday with a domestic gross of $128.3 million. This impressive figure was achieved after an unprecedented opening weekend of $112.5 million, making it the highest-grossing debut for a movie based on a Broadway musical and one of the largest openings ever for a musical on the big screen. Worldwide, the film’s total is rapidly approaching $200 million.
In the second installment of Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, brought in $5.5 million on its first day following a powerful domestic debut of $55 million, pushing its early worldwide earnings to more than $226 million.
It’s during the school holidays that many cinemas experience a surge in ticket sales, as this period, including Monday of Thanksgiving week, becomes an attractive time for going to the movies due to students having more free time.
This year, the lineup of Universal’s “Wicked”, Paramount’s “Gladiator II”, and Walt Disney Animation’s “Moana 2” – opening everywhere on Wednesday after Tuesday previews – is predicted to shatter ticket sales records for the five-day holiday weekend (from Wednesday to Sunday). The reason behind this is that movie theaters will have a trio of blockbusters, each providing an appealing option for both young and old viewers across the gender spectrum.
Last weekend saw the releases of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” strategically timing their openings to make the most of a full week and create some space from the ongoing “Moanapocalypse,” a phrase coined due to the anticipated blockbuster debut of Moana 2. The animated sequel is projected to break records with its Thanksgiving premiere, earning between $125 million and $135 million over five days. For comparison, this figure surpasses the earnings of the “Frozen” franchise.
Moana 2, which is also a musical, stands out as the only PG-rated family film on the Thanksgiving billboard, offering a unique option for families. Notably, the initial Moana, released in 2016 with decent but not exceptional box office performance, has since grown into a cultural phenomenon among children. In fact, it was the most streamed movie across all platforms last year.
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2024-11-26 22:24