Moana 2‘s ‘Hauʻoli lākou’ aka good luck continues this weekend as it eyes a $60M second frame.
For the post-Thanksgiving weekend aka first weekend of December that’s an absolute mind-blowing record for a No. 1 ranking title (holdover or new release). The previous high for this time frame was 2019 when the third weekend of Frozen 2 cleared first place with a third weekend $35.1M take, -59%. Understand, this coming weekend is traditionally a dead zone as audiences, particularly, women, get distracted by holiday activities.
Moana 2‘s second weekend is looking to be around -57%; the first 2016 film eased by 50% in the post-Thanksgiving period with a $28.2M second weekend.
Given the prospects for bad business during the post-Thanksgiving weekend, studios sidestep any tentpole openings; the last notable debut being Warner Bros’ 2003 Tom Cruise epic The Last Samurai which posted $24.2M. Last year at this time there was AMC Theatres’ Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce which opened to a notable $21.8M (before the concert documentary title crashed in weekend 2, -75%).
But there’s more depth to this coming weekend, on a path to outgross the previous recordholder for the first weekend of December, which was 2018 with close to $120M. Universal’s third weekend of Wicked is looking to be around $32M, -60%, while Paramount’s third weekend of Gladiator II is eyeing around $15.5M, -50%. Yesterday, Moana 2 made $8M bringing its seven-day running total to $239.3M. Wicked made $7M, for a running total of $275.8M, while Gladiator II did $2.9M for a running domestic tally of $116.5M.
Among new wide entries is Prathyangira Cinemas’ Pushpa – The Rule: Part 2 booked at 1,245 theaters. We hear there’s strong advance ticket sales and previews which start tonight, with an opening well north of Prathyangira Cinemas’ previous June release, the sci-fi Dune-like epic, Kalki 2898 A.D., which had a $5.7M start. It won’t be shocking if Pushpa – The Rule Part Two sees a $10M 3-day. Pushpa – The Rise Part One opened back on Dec. 17, 2021 to $1.3M. Directed and co-written by Sukumar, Pushpa – The Rule Part Two follows a turbulent and fierce battle between Pushpa Raj, a Mafia kingpin, and Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, a psychotic and a ruthless police officer. Watch the trailer below:
SXSW
There’s also A24’s Kyle Mooney directed R-rated horror party comedy, Y2K, starring Rachel Zegler at 2,100 theaters with a forecast of $3M-$5M. The movie made its world premiere at SXSW and counts 59% critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. If there’s one type of wide release that studios have attempted in the post-Thanksgiving frame, it’s genre. Y2K follows two high school nobodies who make the decision to crash the last major celebration before the new millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. The night becomes even crazier than they could have ever dreamed when the clock strikes midnight. A24 financed and sold a bulk of foreign to Universal which has everything but Japan, China, Russia and Canada. Previews start at 7PM tomorrow.
Briarcliff Entertainment’s Frank Grillo horror movie, Werewolves, is booked at 1,351 theaters with a projection in the low single digits. The Steven C. Miller directed movie follows two scientists who try to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves after being touched by a super-moon the year before.
