Moana Sails to $81.1 Million Over the Thanksgiving Holiday

Walt Disney Animation Studios‘ Moana made a splash at the domestic box office over Thanksgiving, earning an estimated $81.1 million over the five-day holiday, including a $55.5 million first weekend. The five-day gross ranks as the second-biggest Thanksgiving debut ever behind only Frozen ($93.6 million five-day opening and $67.4 million first weekend). Disney now holds the top six five-day Thanksgiving debuts and the top eight three-day Thanksgiving debuts of all time.

In its international debut, Moana opened in a handful of territories earning an estimated $16.3 million, including one major market, China, where it opened Nov. 25 with $12.3 million for the weekend. The film’s global total so far is is $97.4 million. Next weekend sees openings in France, Spain, UK, Russia and Mexico, along with Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Iceland, South Africa, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Paraguay and Peru.

Receiving an A CinemaScore from audiences, Moana was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. The film features the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Auli’i Cravalho, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk.

Warner Bros. Pictures‘ Fantastic Beast and Where To Find Them continued to perform strong its second weekend, adding $65.8 million over the five days domestically in second place ($45.1 million for the weekend). The North American total now stands at $156.2 million. Fueled by outstanding openings in China ($41.1 million) and Japan ($15.5 million), Fantastic Beasts took in $132 million internationally this weekend on 33,700 screens in 67 markets. The overseas total has already reached $317.5 million and the film’s worldwide gross is at $473.7 million. Directed by David Yates from a script by J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts cost $180 million to make and stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Colin Farrell, and Zoe Kravitz.

Marvel Studios‘ Doctor Strange crossed the $600 million mark in global box office this weekend with an estimated $616 million through Sunday, including $205.1 million domestic and $410.9 million international. The film earned $18.9 million over the five-day holiday domestically ($13.4 million for the weekend) and added $9.8 million overseas. Doctor Strange is the ninth Marvel Cinematic Universe film to cross the $600 million mark and Disney’s fifth release of 2016 to do so. It has surpassed the lifetime totals of The Incredible Hulk ($263M), Captain America: The First Avenger ($371M), Thor ($449M), Ant-Man ($520M), and now Iron Man ($585M), making it the biggest single-character introduction in the MCU. The film still is yet to open in Japan (Jan. 27). Made for $165 million and directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Scott Adkins, Amy Landecker and Benedict Wong.

At the domestic box office, Paramount Pictures held the next two spots, with director Robert Zemeckis’ Allied, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, earning $18 million over the five days in fourth place ($13 million for the weekend). The $85 million-budgeted film received a B CinemaScore. In fifth, sci-fi drama Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, grossed $15.6 million over the holiday ($11.3 million for the three-day weekend). The Denis Villeneuve-directed film has earned $62.4 million in three weeks.

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox’s Trolls dropped down to sixth place in North America with $14.3 million for five days and $10.3 million over the weekend. The animated movie has earned a total of $135.1 million domestically after four weeks. Internationally, Trolls earned $7.2 million from 59 markets, boosting its overseas total to $155.9 million and worldwide sum to $291 million.

The other two wide releases didn’t fare so well. Broad Green Pictures and Miramax debuted Bad Santa 2 in 2,920 theaters, but the sequel managed to bring in just $9 million over the five days, with $6.1 million coming from the weekend. Receiving a C+ CinemaScore, Bad Santa 2 was made for $26 million. The first film opened to $16 million in 2003 and went on to earn $60 million domestically. The Mark Waters-directed comedy stars Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Christina Hendricks, Jenny Zigrino, Ryan Hansen, and Jeff Skowron.

Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply (20th Century Fox, New Regency), meanwhile, bombed with just $2.2 million from 2,382 theaters over the five days ($1.6 million for the weekend). Starring Beatty, Lily Collins and future Han Solo Alden Ehrenreich, the film received a B- CinemaScore and cost $25 million to make.