Box office: Moana 2 breaks another record as specialty releases pack the top ten

This week's list includes an Indian action film, a 10th-anniversary IMAX re-release, an anime TV show, a "faith-based" concert movie, and more.

Moana (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho) and friends in Moana 2.

The first weekend after the American Thanksgiving weekend is usually pretty slow, and it’s rare for studios to trot out major new films within that frame.¹

This year, it wasn’t so slow, thanks in part to the ongoing success of the three big blockbusters that have been ruling the chart since late November, i.e. Moana 2, Wicked, and, to a lesser degree, Gladiator II; with an estimated $135 million from all films combined, this was the biggest post-Thanksgiving weekend ever.

But there were still no new major releases this week. Instead, the rest of the top ten was a mix of seasonal holdovers and brand-new specialty releases, including an Indian action film, a 10th-anniversary IMAX-only re-release, an anime TV show, a low-budget indie disaster comedy, and a “faith-based” Christmas concert movie.

More data below. But first, a few of this week’s highlights:

• Moana 2 had one of the steepest second-weekend drops of any animated film this decade, but it started from such a high place last week that it still sailed way past the previous record for a #1 film over the post-Thanksgiving weekend.

• Wicked is the fourth film to gross over $300 million in North America this year, and Moana 2 will be the fifth by today if it isn’t already.

• Gladiator II is now Denzel Washington’s top-grossing film in North America. (It was already his top-grossing film worldwide, as of last week.)

• For King + Country: A Drummer Boy Christmas Live, a Fathom Events concert movie, had a slightly better opening than last year’s Journey to Bethlehem, a major-studio release that also featured the Christmas story, music, and Joel Smallbone.

And now, a few more stats and facts re: this week’s top ten, title by title: