It’s still too early to tell if Frozen 2 will have the same cultural impact as its predecessor but in terms of its opening weekend, the sequel has topped the original and gives Disney yet another record-breaking opening in 2019.
Frozen 2 originally grossed a reported $125 million but the Sunday gross proved to be much stronger and once the final numbers came out, the sequel surged to a staggering $130.2 million. Not only did Frozen 2 dominate domestically but it also had a huge global take of $358.2 million over the weekend, a new all-time record for an animated opening internationally and worldwide. In North America, it scored the best November opening for an animated film ever. China leads all markets with $53 million for the third best-animated debut ever and the top start for a Disney Animation/Pixar film (overtaking Zootopia and Coco). Korea is next at $31.5 million for the 3rd highest industry opening weekend ever (behind only Avengers: Endgame and Along With The Gods 2). Japan, which was the major market on the original film, opened with $18.2 million to secure the best start for a Disney Animation/Pixar movie ever (same in Spain, Germany and more).
In IMAX, Frozen 2 scored the all-time biggest opening for an animated title, earning $18 million globally and toppling Incredibles 2’s $15.6 million debut. Internationally, the film delivered $9.7M making it the biggest IMAX opening for an animated film overseas. Similar records were set in China, Korea, and Germany among others.
Ford v Ferrari drops to second with $15.7 million, down 50% from last weekend. The drop may seem a bit hefty but keep in mind that some of the male audience had to sample Frozen 2 with their kids this weekend and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood also claimed some of the older male audience this weekend so Ford v Ferrari had to share some of the box office pie. I honestly think the film will rebound this weekend and is still a lock for $100 million+ by the end of its run. The film has grossed $57.7 million to date and it scored another $14.7 million from international markets which allowed the film to race over $100 million at the worldwide box office.
Debuting in third is A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with $13.2 million. I honestly thought the film would start out the gate more but this is a film that sees gradual legs so I wouldn’t count it out just yet. The feel-good Mr. Rogers tale could honestly play well over the family-friendly Thanksgiving holiday and beyond, especially with its older demo audience which doesn’t always rush out to see films on opening weekend. I’m sure Sony expected a stronger start but with a $25 million budget, the film should be ok in the long run.
Following a bit below studio expectations in fourth is 21 Bridges which grossed $9.2 million. The STX Entertainment release was tracking slightly above this opening but considering how much this film was shuffled on the release schedule, the outcome could’ve been much direr. The film cost $33 million to make and it’s going to come up short of that ultimately but it won’t be a total disaster for the studio.
Rounding out the top five is Midway with $4.6 million, down 45.4%. Midway is sticking around the top five much longer than I thought it would and if it wasn’t for its $100 million budget, I’d call the film a winner. The film’s lone victory was its number one finish three weeks ago and that’s pretty much still the only thing Lionsgate could celebrate. The film has grossed $43 million to date.
Check out the full top ten results below:
| Film | Total | % Change | Gross to Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onward | $10,601,952 | -72.9% | $60.3 |
| Bloodshot | $9,176,695 | NEW | $9.17 |
| I Still Believe | $9,103,614 | NEW | $9.10 |
| The Invisible Man | $5,890,805 | -61.1% | $64.3 |
| The Hunt | $5,304,455 | NEW | $5.3 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | $2,522,584 | -67.3% | $145.7 |
| The Way Back | $2,356,115 | -71.2% | $13.3 |
| The Call of the Wild | $2,226,720 | -67.1% | $62 |
| Emma. | $1,295,215 | -73% | $9.9 |
| Bad Boys for Life | $1,102,208 | -63.5% | $204.2 |
