Disney's Moana 2 Sets Box Office Records in Previews

Disney's "Moana 2" has made an impressive debut at the box office during Tuesday's pre-Thanksgiving previews, earning $13.8 million. This marks the best-ever preview numbers for a Walt Disney Animation title and a Tuesday-before-Thanksgiving record, trailing only "Incredibles 2" among animated movies, which debuted at $18.5 million. The sequel surpassed other notable titles such as "Inside Out 2" ($13M), "Toy Story 4" ($12M), and "Frozen 2" ($8.5M). Industry insiders expect the film to generate $125M-$135M over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Universal's "Wicked" also made waves, collecting $16.6 million on Tuesday, securing the second-highest November Tuesday earnings, following "Frozen 2"'s $20.7 million in 2019. With a domestic total nearing $145.2 million, the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-led adaptation is on track to surpass "Les Misérables" as Universal's highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation. Paramount's "Gladiator II" showed steady growth, with a 25% increase from Monday, bringing its domestic earnings to $67.6 million.

"Moana 2" has earned mixed reviews from critics, with a 69% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, below "Frozen 2"'s 77%. However, the Thanksgiving holiday factors, such as schools and colleges being off, have driven significant business. As the holiday weekend unfolds, studios anticipate further milestones, with "Moana 2", "Wicked", and "Gladiator II".