By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)'s animated musical "Moana 2" debuted with an estimated $368 million in global ticket sales through Sunday and combined with "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" to deliver the biggest Thanksgiving weekend in U.S. and Canadian box office history.
A sequel to the 2016 animated film, "Moana 2" reunites Auli'i Cravalho as the wayfinding title character with demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, on a voyage to break a curse and reunite the people of the ocean.
Initially envisioned as a series for the Disney+ streaming service, "Moana 2" racked up a record $221 million from domestic ticket sales over the Thanksgiving period from Wednesday through Sunday. That surpassed "Frozen 2's" holiday haul of $125 million in 2019.
For all movies in theaters this weekend, the domestic total hit $420 million, smashing the 2018 Thanksgiving record of $315.6 million led by "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Creed II."
The results provided Hollywood studios and cinemas a reason to celebrate after prolonged closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns that audiences might abandon theaters in favor of staying home to watch streaming TV.
"If you make the right movie, a movie with heart and humor that appeals to audiences, they will come to the theater," Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman said at a recent "Moana 2" screening in Los Angeles.
The figures also showed Hollywood had rebounded from disruptions caused by strikes by writers and actors last year. Chains such as AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) and Cineworld were left with a thin schedule for moviegoers in the first half of 2024.
"Wicked," the adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical that is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," brought in $117.5 million over Thanksgiving. Its global total after two weekends in theaters reached $359.2 million, distributor Universal Pictures said.
Paramount Pictures' action epic "Gladiator II," the sequel to a best picture winner two decades ago, hauled in $44 million domestically over the holiday and brought its global total to $320 million.
Before the weekend, year-to-date domestic ticket sales had hovered nearly 11% behind the same point in 2023, according to data from Comscore. The Thanksgiving tally narrowed the deficit to 6.4%.
Still, the receipts remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels. Through Sunday, domestic ticket sales for 2024 were roughly 24% lower than the pace of 2019.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said the frenzy at theaters this weekend would likely fuel strong sales in the coming weeks. He cited a number of potential hits reaching theaters in December to "help the industry take the year out on a high note."
They include "Kraven the Hunter," the animated "Lord of the Rings: the War of the Rohirrim," "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and "Mufasa: The Lion King," he said.