WEB DESK: “Moana 2” continues to rule the domestic box office. The Disney animated sequel earned $11.7 million on Friday, heading for a $50.8 million weekend in its second frame. After breaking the Thanksgiving box office record with $225 million over five days, the film is expected to hit nearly $300 million domestically by Sunday.
Originally planned as a Disney+ series, Moana 2 was reimagined as a theatrical sequel. The move has paid off, despite mixed reviews. Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho reprise their roles as Maui and Moana, keeping fans coming back to theaters.
Other films ruling box office
Universal’s “Wicked” claimed second place, earning $9.5 million on Friday. The Broadway musical adaptation, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is set to make $32.7 million this weekend. Its domestic total will climb past $318 million in just three weeks.
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In third, Paramount’s “Gladiator II” added $3.6 million on Friday. The historical epic, featuring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington, is projected to make $12.9 million over the weekend, pushing its domestic total to over $130 million.
Indie films response
“Red One,” an Amazon MGM Christmas action-comedy starring The Rock, landed in fourth place. It added $1.6 million on Friday and will cross $85 million domestically by Sunday. The film’s performance remains underwhelming, given its $250 million budget.
“Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2,” an Indian Telugu action film, took fifth place. Starring Allu Arjun, it earned $1.7 million on Friday and is on track for $5.2 million by Sunday.
Meanwhile, A24’s “Y2K” struggled in its debut. The comedy-horror film made $910,000 on Friday from 2,108 theaters and is expected to close the weekend with a modest $2.7 million. Critics gave it a lukewarm 44 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences were equally unkind with a “C-” CinemaScore.
