Ordinarily, when a phenomenon such as “Glicked” —Gladiator IIandWicked— premieres and takes the box office by storm, it’s at least a few weeks before something else comes along to take the throne. However, the release of the highly-anticipatedMoana 2has proved to be a formidable opponent forGladiator 2in the arena while also defying gravity to reach higher heights thanWicked. The Disney sequel starringDwayne JohnsonandAuli’i Cravalhoearned$135 million at the domestic box officeover the Thanksgiving weekend to bring its overall total in the U.S. to $221 million. Pair that with $165 million from international markets, andMoana 2has amassed a global box office haul of $386 millionafter its first weekend in theaters.
Despite falling out of the first and second place spots,WickedandGladiator 2still had a strong second weekend at the box office, with theCynthia ErivoandAriana Grande-led musical scoring another impressive $80 million to add to the domestic pile, only a 29% drop from its opening weekend. Thanks to its second weekend haul,Wicked’s domestic box office total is now $262 million and its international haul is up to $96 million,bringing its worldwide total to $359 million. Meanwhile,Gladiator 2fell further, dropping 44% on its way to earning another $30.7 million while also playing in roughly 300 fewer theaters in the United States thanWicked. As forRidley Scott’s legacy sequel, it’s survived enough box office waves to earn $111 million domestically while also bringing in a whopping $208 million overseas,leveling out at $320 million overall. It is also officiallythe highest-grossing movie ofDenzel Washington’s career.
Dwayne Johnson’s success also didn’t stop withMoana 2, as his Christmas action flick with MCU veteranChris Evans,Red One, grossed $12.8 million, only a 2% drop after earning $13.2 million last weekend. A 2% drop is nearly unheard of, especially for a movie in its third weekend in theaters; after alsodelivering an update onHobbs and Shaw 2earlier in the week, it’s safe to say it’s been a big week forRed OnewriterChris Morgan.Red One’s domestic and international totals are each hovering around the $75 million mark, withits worldwide total falling just under $150 million. Also experiencing another small drop isThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever,which hauled in $3.2 millionduring its fourth weekend in theaters, only a 4% drop from last weekend’s $3.4 million total.Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin., the political thriller featuringAlien: RomulusstarDavid Jonsson, also earned $2.4 million during its second weekend in theaters, landing it in the #6 spot after debuting at #4.
‘Heretic’ and ‘Smile 2’ Are Among the Weekend’s Biggest Box Office Drops
After being in theaters for six full weeks,Tom Hardy’s last outing as Eddie Brock,Venom: The Last Dance,earned $2.2 million in the #7 spotafter becomingone of the highest-grossing superhero movies of all timelast week. Falling one to the #8 spot this week isHeretic, the A24 horror film starringHugh Grantthat failed to earn $1 million, finishing at $956,000, a 57% drop from last weekend. Things are finally slowing down forThe Wild Robotafter 10 full weeks in theaters; it earned $670,000 but still boasts a worldwide total of just over $321 million.Smile 2, the horror sequel starringNaomi Scott, also fell particularly hard during its seventh full weekend in theaters, earning $438,000 but stillnearing the end of its run with $68 million domesticallyand overseas for a worldwide total of $137 million.
There’s also a lot to look forward to coming later this month, but the biggest contenders on the board for box office success are certainlySonic the Hedgehog 3,TheLord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, andA Complete Unknown. With a sneakily stacked cast,Robert Eggers’Nosferatualso has a chance to find major box office success, but it’s worth noting thathis last outing,The Northman, failed to earn back its budget. Still, the power ofKeanu Reevesand a love for the video game franchise will certainly helpSonic 3, whileTimothee Chalametis riding high on his last two movies —WonkaandDune: Part Two— earning more than $500 million at the box office. Other movies such asThe Order(Jude Law),The Return(Ralph Fiennes), andWerewolves(Frank Grillo) are flop contenders to look out for in a month full of big-budget blockbusters.
Moana 2claimed the #1 spot at the box officethis weekend, withWickedfollowing suit at #2 andGladiator 2falling to #3. Stay tuned to Collider for more box office updates and find tickets below for a showing ofMoana 2near you.
Moana sets out on another daring voyage, venturing into uncharted territories to save her island from a looming ancient danger. Joined by the demigod Maui and her steadfast friends, she braves perilous seas and encounters new allies along the way. Her quest leads to revelations about her ancestors and deeper insights into her bond with the ocean.
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