As the weekend approached, there were speculations that Moana 2 might be dethroned from its box office crown after trailing behind Wicked during the week. However, the weekend box office figures for December 13 reveal that Dwayne Johnson‘s animated sequel has maintained its reign, achieving the top position for the third consecutive weekend. Moana 2 secured the number one spot, collecting $26 million over the weekend. This represents a 48% decrease from the previous weekend but still contributes to a remarkable domestic total of $337 million. Additionally, the film has garnered $379 million from international markets, culminating in a staggering worldwide total of $717 million, thus surpassing Dune: Part Two to rank as the fourth-highest-grossing film globally this year.

In recent weeks, Wicked and Gladiator 2 previously occupied the second and third positions, respectively. While Jon M. Chu‘s musical maintained its stronghold in second place, Ridley Scott‘s sequel slipped to the fourth spot. Wicked reported a smaller decline compared to Moana 2, earning $22 million this weekend, which is a decrease of only 38% from the last week. The Broadway adaptation, featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has amassed a total of $359 million at the domestic box office, alongside $165 million from international markets, leading to a global revenue of $524 million. Wicked remains the fourth highest-grossing film domestically this year, sitting approximately $22 million ahead of Moana 2 and just $2 million behind Despicable Me 4, which has grossed $361 million domestically. For Wicked to surpass Despicable Me 4 this week, it would need an impressive $275 million in domestic sales to catch up to Deadpool & Wolverine, a target that seems unlikely as its box office performance begins to wane.

On a less favorable note, Sony’s Kraven the Hunter made a disappointing debut, landing in the #3 position with a mere $11 million in box office earnings. This figure stands in stark contrast to the performance of Venom: The Last Dance, which opened to a robust $51 million, outperforming Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s Kraven by a significant margin of $40 million. While Sony has enjoyed success with the Venom franchise, other installments like <em>Morbius</em>, <em>Madame Web</em>, and now Kraven the Hunter have struggled to recoup their production budgets. Gladiator 2 secured the #4 position this weekend, grossing $7.8 million, marking a 38% drop that mirrors the performance of its “Glicked” counterpart. The war epic, generating considerable Oscar buzz for Denzel Washington, has achieved a domestic total of $145 million and $252 million internationally, bringing its global earnings to just under $400 million. Notably, Gladiator 2 also marks the highest-grossing film in Washington’s illustrious career, further solidifying Ridley Scott’s position as a leading director, surpassing Tim Burton on the all-time list of highest-grossing directors.

Box Office Successes and Challenges: ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Red One’ Shine While ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ Disappoints

Kraven was not the only franchise film to struggle with lackluster opening numbers; The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim finished the weekend at #5 after debuting to a disappointing $4.6 million domestically. This figure, combined with $5.7 million from international markets, results in a total of just over $10 million globally, which is a disappointment softened somewhat by its relatively modest budget of $30 million. In contrast, a standout performance this weekend came from Red One, a festive action film headlined by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. The film managed to secure $4.4 million over the weekend, reflecting only a 37% decline despite launching on streaming platforms on Thursday, showcasing an impressive theatrical performance for a movie already available for home viewing to Prime Video subscribers. Currently, Red One boasts a domestic total of $96 million, while its international earnings of $82 million elevate its global cumulative revenue to $175 million.

Close behind Red One is the re-release of Interstellar, which has returned to theaters for its 10th anniversary, earning $3.3 million from only 321 screens. This marks a mere 28% drop in earnings, resulting in an impressive per-theater average of over $10,000 and establishing it as the highest-grossing re-release for any IMAX film in history. Meanwhile, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever also contributed to the box office by adding another $1.3 million to its domestic total, showing a modest decline of just 10% from the previous weekend, thus helping its overall domestic earnings surpass the $36 million mark. Additionally, Daniel Craig‘s Queer opened in new theaters this weekend, bringing in $790,000 from just 460 screens, accumulating a worldwide total nearing $2 million.

As we look forward to the upcoming weekend, two major films are set to hit theaters: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King. The Sonic franchise has collectively earned over $700 million worldwide, with approximately $300 million from the first film and $400 million from its sequel. In comparison, The Lion King series boasts an impressive total of more than $2.6 billion across its two films, including a staggering $1.6 billion from the live-action adaptation released in 2019. This weekend, Mufasa: The Lion King is poised to claim the top slot, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will likely compete with other significant titles like Moana 2 and Wicked for the second position.

While Moana 2 has successfully retained its position at the box office, it is anticipated that Mufasa: The Lion King will likely take over the #1 spot in the coming weekend. For ongoing box office updates, stay connected with Collider, and check out the links below to find showtimes for Moana 2 near you.

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Moana 2

In Moana 2, the beloved character embarks on yet another thrilling adventure, sailing into the vast unknown to protect her island from an impending ancient threat. Accompanied by the demigod Maui and her loyal friends, she navigates treacherous waters, meets new allies, and uncovers vital secrets about her ancestors, deepening her connection with the ocean’s mysteries.

Director

David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller

Cast

Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda

Runtime

100 Minutes

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