The buzz was there for a blockbuster, and Frozen 2 definitely proved that. The anticipated sequel pulled in a huge $127 million in its debut, for a huge $28,603 per-venue average. That's the third-biggest launch for an animated movie to date, behind two Pixar sequels, Incredibles 2 ($182 million) and Finding Dory ($135 million). And it's also ahead of Toy Story 4 ($122 million) from earlier this year. The original Frozen was a cultural phenomenon back in 2013/2014, so a sequel was likely to pull in a similar audience. The original film opened to $94 million over its' five-day launch over Thanksgiving weekend six years ago, and went on to play all the way through early March in the Top 10. Definitely don't expect similar legs here, but the film will easily continue to be a strong play through New Year's if not Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend. Audiences gave the film an "A-" CinemaScore (a couple of notches below the first film's "A+" grade).Overseas, where the original earned over $800 million, the film pulled in record numbers for an animated title. Earning $350 million worldwide for its launch (Toy Story 4's $244 million was the previous benchmark), it was led by a strong $53 million launch in China, along with a strong $32 million in Korea, and $18 million in Japan and the U.K. With this kind of launch, and not much PG-rated competition coming up, Frozen 2 is virtually guaranteed of reaching the $1 billion mark like its predecessor did. No budgeting information was released, and Disney was expecting an opening above $100 million.
Disney also took second place with its Fox-inherited release Ford v. Ferrari. The possible awards season contender was off 49% in its sophomore frame to $16 million, for a relatively solid $58 million in 10 days. With the extended Thanksgiving frame coming up, it should continue to bring in solid business over the coming weeks. Overseas, its' earned nearly $50 million so far.
Acting as counter-programming, Sony chose the pre-Thanksgiving frame to debut their awards season contender, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. And while the PG film didn't exactly have an exciting debut ($13.5 million in third place, mild $4,173 per-venue average), I don't think this movie needed a strong debut. Being a likely Oscar contender (especially for Hanks) means that this will probably build buzz over the coming weeks. The extended Thanksgiving frame could mean repeat business, and older audiences usually come out later too. For Hanks, this isn't new. In 2015, Bridge of Spies turned a $15 million launch into a $75 million final gross. On a $25 million budget, a similar run would be very successful. Now we just need to see how it does over Thanksgiving. Sony was conservative, expecting a $12-15 million launch. Audiences awarded it a strong "A" CinemaScore.I saw both Frozen 2 and Neighborhood over the past few days, and will have reviews of both up by the end of this coming week :).
Meanwhile, Chadwick Boseman tried to bring in an audience on his own without the Marvel name behind it, with arguably mediocre results. Crime thriller 21 Bridges finally arrived after several scheduling changes, and managed a light $9.3 million in its debut (unimpressive $3,490 per-venue average). Originally slated for a July release, the STX production faced several delays due to the studio's own financial problems. Carrying a $33 million budget, the film had mixed reception from critics, despite earning a decent "B+" CinemaScore from audiences. In all fairness, this was always a weird weekend to launch this title, as it didn't seem to fit the pre-holiday theme. How it will play in the coming weeks will be determined based on if it gets lost in the midst of more appealing options. STX didn't release a projection this weekend, but many analysts were thinking it could get above $10 million.Midway remained in the mix in its third weekend, off 45% to $4.7 million, for a modest $43.1 million pick-up in 17 days. That's more than expected, but a $55 million finish won't be enough in the face of a $100 million budget. And overseas numbers aren't strong either. Taking a 45% drop in the face of Frozen, Playing with Fire added another $4.6 million, for a decent $31.6 million gross in 17 days. Another title playing better than expected, the family flick should play solidly over the Thanksgiving holiday.
After a mediocre start last week, The Good Liar kept its older audience, off 40% in its sophomore frame to $3.4 million. The Warner Bros. release has pulled in a weak $11.8 million in 10 days, and will likely fall short of $20 million. Last weekend's major flop, Charlie's Angels, fared even worse. Falling 62% in its sophomore frame, the reboot earned $3.2 million in eighth place, for a horrible $13.9 million in 10 days, and just $30 million overseas.
Meanwhile, Last Christmas isn't playing like a Christmas title at all. Off an alarming 53% to $3 million, the Universal title has earned a modest $27.8 million in 17 days, and will likely wind up at around $35 million stateside. Joker rounded out the Top 10 in its eighth weekend, as the DC blockbuster was down 47% to $2.8 million. With a huge $326.9 million pick-up in 56 days, the massive hit is at $1.036 billion worldwide, with a little bit more to go.
That's about it. Next weekend brings the extended Thanksgiving frame, and two more new releases enter the fray. Murder mystery Knives Out and thriller Queen and Slim will hope to earn a spot in the Top 5. Weekend predictions will be posted on Tuesday. :)
