Box Office Report for the Week Of December 14

It’s an interesting weekend for Disney, which, before Avatar: Fire and Ash will inevitably inflame the box office and the holiday season during the most lucrative period of the year for cinemas, has two distinct situations regarding their current releases. Their latest movie, Ella McCay, was lambasted by critics and predictably flopped, opening at $2.1 million in 2,500 venues, and is now one of the lowest openings ever for Disney, after the studio merged with 20th Century Fox.

In contrast, Zootopia 2′s momentum can’t be stopped, as the film dethroned Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 from the top spot and is now the fastest PG-rated film to reach the $1 billion mark, joining Ne Zha 2 and Lilo & Stitch as the only films to pass this milestone this year. They won’t be alone for much longer, as I’ve learned never to doubt James Cameron regarding the financial prospects of his films.

We will soon find out what the critical reception for Avatar will be once the review embargo lifts on Tuesday. That said, like Zootopia, these films are pretty much critic-proof, and pre-sales in key markets have been outpacing Disney’s latest animated film, with some projections seeing Avatar: Fire and Ash open at $400 million globally, which would be a very good start that could only build momentum. After all, Disney is putting out all the stops to get people to see the movie multiple times in cinemas, if rumors on several Avengers: Doomsday trailers playing in front of Fire and Ash are true.

The Christmas Corridor will be the most interesting period to analyze for the next few weeks, as genuine moneymakers are being released. We’ve already mentioned the megablockbuster that is Avatar: Fire and Ash, but do not underestimate the financial pull of SpongeBob Squarepants, with its fourth film also released at the same time, and mid-budget fare such as Anaconda and Song Sung Blue potentially making an impact as well. More Oscar contenders, such as Marty Supreme, are also being released around the same time, making for a crowded but exciting time at the movies, as audiences can see a wide range of titles that everyone can enjoy.

1. Zootopia 2 (Disney): $26.3M (-39%) – 3,895 theatres
2. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Universal): $19.5M (-70%) – 3,579 theatres
3. Wicked: For Good (Universal): $8.5M (-51%) – 3,480 theatres
4. Dhurandar (Moviegoers Entertainment Ltd): $3.4M – 377 theatres
5. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (Lionsgate): $2.3M (-32%) – 2,411 theatres
6. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution (GKIDS): $2.1M (-79%) – 1,935 theatres
7. Ella McCay (Disney): $2.1M – 2,500 theatres
8. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Re-Release (Universal): $1.8M – 2,250 theatres
9. Eternity (A24): $1.7M (-35%) – 2,067 theatres
10. Hamnet (Universal): $1.5M (-35%) – 749 theatres

Source: Comscore