The holiday season is a time of plenty, and the Thanksgiving box office feast is no exception. With a lineup of highly-anticipated films hitting theaters, it’s shaping up to be a lucrative corridor for the movie industry.
Leading the charge is Disney Animation Studios’ holiday tentpole, “Wish”, which made its North American debut with $2.3 million in Tuesday previews. The film, infused with music and holiday cheer, is expected to dominate the Thanksgiving stretch, with projected earnings of $45 million to $50 million over the five-day holiday period, including $30 million to $35 million for the weekend. Disney is banking on “Wish” to deliver a much-needed box office win after a challenging year, especially with the recent disappointment of “The Marvels”.
In addition to “Wish”, Apple and Sony are entering the fray with Ridley Scott’s historical epic, “Napoleon”, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the legendary French emperor. The film, which grossed $3 million in Tuesday previews, is pacing to open to at least $22 million for the five-day holiday corridor, including $16 million for the weekend. This event pic is another contender for capturing audiences’ attention during the Thanksgiving holiday.
However, these films face competition from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together”, both of which opened the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Despite somewhat subdued openings, both films are expected to continue drawing audiences throughout the holiday frame.
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Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” prequel debuted with $44 million but is anticipated to maintain a strong presence at the box office during the Thanksgiving holiday, while “Trolls Band Together” opened to $30 million and is showing steady performance. There’s a historic rivalry between Disney and Universal when it comes to dominating the Thanksgiving frame in terms of animated fare, and all eyes are on the battle between “Trolls” and “Wish”.
As the big blockbusters vie for box office dominance, the specialty box office is also bustling with activity as various Oscar contenders expand nationwide. Films like “The Holdovers” and “Saltburn” are using the holiday corridor as an opportunity to garner attention and draw in audiences.
Overall, the Thanksgiving box office is off to a strong start, with a diverse lineup of films catering to a wide range of audiences. With highly-anticipated releases and the ongoing competition between studios, this holiday corridor is shaping up to be a lucrative and exciting time for the movie industry.
