Blockbuster “Moana 2” sets box office record during Thanksgiving week

Over the holiday season, the animated film “Moana 2” grossed $221 million in North America and $165.3 million internationally.

"Moana 2" - about the princess of the same name - has had a successful comeback. (Source: newsx)

This Thanksgiving season, North American box offices witnessed a memorable holiday with the explosion of blockbuster movies. Among them, “Moana 2” - the sequel to the hit animated film released in 2016, set a new record with revenue of 221 million USD in North America during the holiday period from November 27 to December 1.

This is an unprecedented impressive number, breaking the previous record of “Frozen 2” in 2019, with a revenue of 125 million USD during Thanksgiving weekend. In the international market, “Moana 2” also brought in an additional 165.3 million USD.

This unexpected success comes not only from the high expectations for the sequel to “Moana”, but also because the film was originally intended to be released online on Disney+, but was adapted into a theatrical release.

This decision is considered one of Disney's smartest moves, as analysts say it was "Moana" that helped the studio record such impressive revenue.

In this sequel, Moana – again voiced by Auli'i Cravalho – continues her fantastic journey with her friends across the vast ocean of Oceania to break the curse of an evil god that caused the mysterious island to sink into the sea. She receives help from Maui, the half-man, half-fish god (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) on this journey.

Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore, demonstrating the resounding success of the “Moana” franchise with viewers.

Along with “Moana 2”, two other blockbusters, “Wicked: Part I” and “Gladiator II”, also achieved impressive success.

“Wicked” - the musical adaptation of the famous Broadway musical - earned $117 million during Thanksgiving weekend, bringing the film's global total to $359 million after two weeks of release.

With the release of “Gladiator II” – the epic action film directed by Ridley Scott – the total North American box office revenue during the holiday season reached a record $422 million, far surpassing the $320 million figure for the same period last year.

This is not only a sign of a bumper holiday movie season, but also a testament to Hollywood's strong comeback after the difficulties of the past few years, when the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming platforms put the film industry to the test.

"We are witnessing a strong revival of cinema and this opens up hope for a promising future in the coming years," said Michael O'Leary, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

The success of “Moana 2”, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” not only proves the strong appeal of blockbusters but also opens a new turning point for the box office, when big productions are no longer afraid to compete directly with each other.

This could create a new wave of growth for the film industry, especially as Christmas movies like “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” and “A Complete Unknown” are gearing up for release.

Top-grossing movies in North America last weekend:

1. Moana 2 – $221 million
2. Wicked - $117 million
3. Gladiator II – $44 million
4. Red One – $12.9 million
5. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – 3.3 million USD
6. Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin – $2.4 million
7. Venom: The Last Dance – $2.2 million
8. Heretic – $956,797
9. The Wild Robot – 670,000 USD
10. A Real Pain – 665,000 USD./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bom-tan-moana-2-lap-ky-luc-phong-ve-trong-tuan-le-ta-on-post998559.vnp