While November has been a relatively modest month at the box office, that all changed this weekend with the release of Disney’s latest Frozen 2.
The much-anticipated sequel roared into the top spot, earning a massive 127 million dollars in its debut. That is nearly double of the original film’s 67.3 million dollar opening, showing the growing strength of this film’s dedicated fanbase. Sporting strong reviews (75% on Rotten Tomatoes) while facing a lack of competition from other family-oriented films, Frozen 2 is set up to dominate over the coming weeks, with it being only a matter of time before it crosses the billion-dollar mark.
While Frozen 2 dominated at the top spot, other films were able to find success this weekend. Ford v Ferrari continues to perform well, easing a respectable 49% to earn 16 million (adding up to a 57.9 million tally so far). Appeasing to the often-neglected adult crowds while offering dynamic star power in Matt Damon and Christian Bale, this has proven to be a rare win for Disney’s new 20th Century Fox slate.
Opening in third place is A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which earned 13.5 million in its debut. While not a record-breaking start, its a good starting point for the relatively inexpensive Mr. Rogers biopic (budget around 25 million). With Tom Hank’s star power and glowing reviews (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), this should perform admirably over the holiday frame.
Also opening this weekend is the latest Chadwick Boseman actioner 21 Bridges, which earned 9.2 million in fourth place. This film has been moved around the release schedule quite a bit, pushed from July to September than September to November, with this release putting the film in a tough spot going against adult fare like Ford and Midway. With a modest 33 million dollar budget, this could potentially break even if it holds up well over the holiday.
Next weekend’s Thanksgiving frame will feature Knives Out and Queen and Slim, two well-reviewed adult films that will try to benefit from the holiday.