‘Moana 2’, ‘Wicked’ & ‘Gladiator II’ Deliver Black Friday $109M Record, Ticketing Sites Backlogged – Box Office Update
UPDATE: Black Friday delivered an estimated $109M, the best ever for the day after Thanksgiving. The day stands as the second best moviegoing day stateside YTD after July 26’s $118.3M. As we told you, Disney’s Moana 2 scored the best take for a title playing on Black Friday with $54.5M. Wicked scored $32M yesterday, the third best take ever for a movie on Black Friday after Frozen 2 ($34.1M). Gladiator II did $12.4M yesterday, up 87% from its Thanksgiving $6.7M take. All titles yesterday were up 88% over Thanksgiving’s $58M take.
At the time of this post, there isn’t a wait time for online ticket purchases on the AMC website. The circuit’s Boss Adam Aron is a happy camper, declaring that “Americans are pouring into theaters” for what is a “national phenomenon.”
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PREVIOUS: Black Friday typically is one of the highest-grossing box office days on the calendar, but this year, it’s coursing to an all-time record with around $107M+ for all movies, led by Disney’s Moana 2.
Friday also has a shot at being the highest-grossing day of 2024 to date, outstripping the $118.3M on Friday, July 26, when Deadpool & Wolverine led with an R-rated opening-day and -weekend record ($96.1M, $211.4M).
There’s such a frenzy for Moana 2, Universal’s Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II tickets that AMC at one point this morning was experiencing a 13-minute wait time. That’s a rich-man’s problem for the No. 1 exhibitor. The circuit has the situation under control, I’m told.
Per Comscore, Friday easily will exceed the previous Black Friday record of $85M, which was back in 2013 when Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was the No. 1 title over the Wednesday-Sunday Thanksgiving period.
Moana 2 is expected to do at least $55M, which would make it a Black Friday record for the No. 1-grossing film, above Frozen II‘s $34.1M back in 2019. Wicked is on course to do $27M Friday, while Paramount’s Gladiator II is eyeing at $12.6M. Moana 2 already is blowing away the Frozen II $125M 5-day record over Thanksgiving and could do $200M+. Wicked is looking at the fourth best take over the holiday frame with $105.6M while Gladiator II is looking at $45M.
As we first told you, Dwayne Johnson has accomplished a rare feat for a Hollywood leading star at the box office: With Moana 2 and Red One, he’s the first to have two No. 1 openings in the same month.
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