'Moana 2' sails to a record $221 million opening as Hollywood celebrates a moviegoing feast

NEW YORK (AP) — Christmas came early at the box office this year.

“Moana 2” brought in a tidal wave of moviegoers over the Thanksgiving Day weekend, setting records with $221 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. That, combined with “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” made for an unprecedented weekend in cinemas and a confluence of blockbusters more like what’s often found in late December.

Expectations were high for Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana 2,” but the film — originally planned as a series for Disney+ before it was redirected to the big screen — blew predictions out of the water. Its five-day opening set a new record for Thanksgiving moviegoing. (The previous best was $125 million for “Frozen 2” in its second week of release in 2019.) “Moana 2” added $165.3 million internationally; with $386 million worldwide, it's the second-best global launch of the year.

At the same time, the sensation of “Wicked” showed no signs of slowing down. The Universal Pictures musical brought in $117.5 million over the five-day weekend, pushing its two-week global total to $359.2 million. Not accounting for inflation, “Wicked” is now the highest grossing Broadway adaptation over “Grease.” (That 1978 film grossed $190 million, but factoring in inflation would put it past $900 million.)

“Gladiator II,” meanwhile, also held well, dipping 44% from its opening weekend. Ridley Scott’s sequel to his Oscar-winning best picture original collected $44 million in its second weekend. While its steep price tag of $250 million will make profitability challenging, “Gladiator II” has swiftly gathered $320 million worldwide.

Those three films drove the overall box office to a record $420 million in overall Thanksgiving weekend ticket sales, according to Comscore — more than $100 million more than ever before. For an industry that has been battered in recent years by the pandemic, work stoppages and the upheaval caused by streaming, it was a triumphant weekend that showed the still-potent power of Hollywood’s blockbuster machine. Before “Wicked,” “Moana 2” and “Gladiator II” arrived in theaters, ticket sales were running about 25% behind pre-pandemic levels.

Michael O’Leary, president and chief executive of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said the weekend showed what’s possible when “all the pieces of the puzzle come together” in compelling big-budget movies with marketing muscle.

“We’re very optimistic that this weekend is the start of what we believe is a full-on charge into the future,” he said. "The remaining quarter of this year looks very promising and then on into 2025 and 2026. We’re hoping next year is the first kind of normal year this industry has had in a long time.”

Like the last time such anticipated movies collided on the release calendar — 2023's much-ballyhooed “Barbenheimer" — the movie industry again could see evidence of a rising moviegoing tide lifting all blockbusters. In recent years, studios have typically tried to space out most of their biggest releases. Earlier this fall, “Venom: The Last Dance," for example, was the No. 1 film for three straight weeks, despite not being particularly successful.

“For a long, long time in Hollywood, there’s been a belief that you don’t put big blockbuster movies up against each other,” said O'Leary. “But the truth of the matter is that competition is good. It’s good for the movies. It’s good for the studios. It’s good for the theater owners. But it’s particularly good for the moviegoing public.”

“Moana 2” was the nexus of a strategy shift for Disney. When it first began development, it was fashioned as a series for streaming. But when Bob Iger returned as chief executive, he reconsidered the balance between theatrical and streaming. The original “Moana," after all, was the most streamed movie on Disney+ in 2023, with the added benefit of $680 million in box office in 2016. Only in February this year did Iger announce the release of “Moana 2," with Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson returning as the voices of Moana and Maui.

“It just shows you that the big screen and small screen are not adversarial. They can be complementary and additive,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Whoever made that decision to go big screen globally with ‘Moana 2,' that was one of the greatest decisions ever.”

And it helped lead a resurgence for Walt Disney Co., whose last two animated November releases — “Strange World” and “Wish” — fizzled in theaters. “Moana 2” may become the third $1 billion-grossing movie for the studio in 2024, along with “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Though reviews for “Moana 2" have only been 65% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore.

“Moana 2” is also part of a major rebound for family moviegoing. According to David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment, family moviegoing in 2024 is going to account for approximately $6.8 billion in ticket sales, roughly the sums of 2022 and 2023, combined.

After such large debuts, “Moana 2” and “Wicked” are likely to continue to drive moviegoing through December. The only question will be if this year's Christmas movies — historically a much bigger holiday period for theaters — can come anywhere near the Thanksgiving lineup. Among the movies aiming for that holiday corridor are Disney's “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Paramount's “Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and Searchlight's “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan.

Final domestic figures will be released Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. "Moana 2," $135 million.

2. “Wicked,” $80 million.

3. “Gladiator II” $30.7 million.

4. “Red One,” $12.9 million.

5. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $3.3 million.

6. “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,” $2.4 million.

7. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $2.2 million.

8. “Heretic,” $956,797.

9. “The Wild Robot,” $670,000.

10. “A Real Pain,” $665,000.

This combination of images shows promotional art for "Gladiator II," left, and "Wicked." (Paramount/Universal Pictures via AP)

Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande arrive at the premiere of "Wicked" on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. In “Wicked,” Elphaba and Glinda travel from Shiz University to the Emerald City on a glistening green train to meet the wizard. In real life, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have traveled much farther and wider and longer and on airplanes to promote their hotly anticipated film. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Auli'i Cravalho, left and Dwayne Johnson pose for photographers upon arrival at the UK premiere of Moana 2 on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, at a central London cinema. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

FILE - Ariana Grande, left, poses for a selfie with a fan at the premiere of 'Wicked' at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angele, Nov. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP File)

This image released by Disney shows the characters Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, holding Simea, voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, in a scene from "Moana 2." (Disney via AP)

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian military rushed reinforcements to the northwest and launched airstrikes Sunday in an attempt to push back insurgents who seized the country’s largest city of Aleppo, as Iran pledged to help the government counter the surprise offensive.

Iran has been a key political and military ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the country's long-running civil war, but it was unclear how Tehran would support Damascus in this latest flareup that began Wednesday. Insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the countryside around Idlib, before moving toward neighboring Hama province.

On Sunday, government troops created a “strong defensive line” in northern Hama, according to Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as they attempted to stall the insurgents' momentum. Meanwhile, jets pounded the cities of Idlib and Aleppo, killing at least 15 people, according to a group that operates in opposition-held areas.

The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent, destabilizing front reopening in the Middle East at a time when Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, conflicts that have repeatedly threatened to ignite an even wider regional war. It also risks drawing Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other.

The insurgents announced their offensive Wednesday, just as a ceasefire between the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group and Israel began, raising some hope that tensions in the region might be calming.

The surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Assad, and it comes at a time when his allies — Iran and groups it backs and Russia — are preoccupied with their own conflicts.

According to a statement from Assad’s office, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was ready to support Damascus in their counteroffensive against the insurgency.

Arab leaders, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have also called Assad to express their solidarity.

The insurgents took over most of Aleppo on Saturday and made gains in the surrounding province, including capturing a military academy and a strategic town that lies on the highway linking the city with Damascus and the coast.

They also took control of the main water pumping station for city and it is no longer working, Syrian Minister of Water Resources Moataz Qattan told the pro-government radio station Sham FM.

Elsewhere, rebel commander Col. Hassan Abdulghani said the insurgents advanced in the countryside around Idlib, putting all of the province of the same name under their control.

They also claimed to have entered the city of Hama, but there was no independent confirmation of that.

Abdulghani said 65 Syrian troops were taken prisoner in eastern Aleppo.

In Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, military vehicles abandoned by Syrian troops dotted the roads. People posed and took pictures of themselves atop one abandoned tank on a highway, while the insurgents grabbed munitions and shells from them before continuing their push deeper into Syria.

The insurgents vowed to push all the way into Damascus, but life in the Syrian capital remained normal with no signs of panic. In southeastern Aleppo, however, the main road out of the city was gridlocked as people fled the fighting, and gas stations in the area were short on fuel.

Turkey, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, said its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop Syrian government attacks on opposition-held areas in recent weeks. Turkish security officials said a limited offensive by the rebels was planned to stop government attacks and allow civilians to return, but the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces began to retreat from their positions.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said the push by the rebels poses a risk to regional security and called on resuming diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the U.S., which has about 900 troops in Syria, is watching the situation carefully. The American forces, which are in the northeast and far from Aleppo, are guarding against a resurgence by the extremist Islamic State group.

The group leading the rebel advance is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., and Sullivan said Washington has “real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization.”

“At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure,” he added.

According to Syrian state news agency SANA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the army overnight pushed back insurgents in the northern countryside of Hama province.

Syrian state media said government resupply included heavy equipment and rocket launchers while Syrian and Russian airstrikes targeted weapon depots and insurgent strongholds. Pro-government radio station Sham FM said the Syrian army shot down drones belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in northern Hama.

Syrian state television claimed government forces had killed nearly 1,000 insurgents over the past three days, without providing evidence or details.

Government airstrikes in Idlib killed at least three civilians, including two children, and wounded 11 others, said the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, which operates in opposition-held areas.

Residents could be seen fleeing through ash-covered streets. Men lowered a child from the high floor of a building whose facade was blown off.

Airstrikes also struck in and around Aleppo, including near a hospital in the city center, killing 12 people, including at least eight civilians, according to the White Helmets and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In a call with foreign officials, Assad vowed to defeat the insurgency. “Terrorism only understands the language of force, which is the language we will break and eliminate it with, regardless of its supporters and sponsors,” he said.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters after 2011 protests against Assad’s rule turned into an all-out war. After appearing to be losing control of the country to the rebels, the Aleppo battle secured Assad’s hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery.

A defaced portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad lies on the ground in the town of Maarat al-Numan, southwest from Aleppo, Syria, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo and large areas around previously controlled by the government with little resistance from troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Syrian opposition fighters get on a motorcycle as opposition supporters stand on top of a captured army armoured vehicle in the town of Maarat al-Numan, southwest of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo and large areas around previously controlled by the government with little resistance from troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

A Syrian opposition fighter checks a motorcycle next to abandoned army vehicles in the town of Maarat al-Numan, southwest of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo and large areas around previously controlled by the government with little resistance from troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

The 12th-century landmark, the Grand Mosque of Maarat al-Numan, southwest of Aleppo, is seen after opposition fighters took control of the town in Syria, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo and large areas around previously controlled by the government with little resistance from troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

The bodies of Syrian army soldiers and allied fighters are collected by opposition fighters in body bags after being allegedly killed earlier in combat by opposition fighters in Aleppo, Syria, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo a day after storming it with little resistance from government troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Alleged Syrian army soldiers and allied fighters sit on the floor after being captured by opposition fighters in Aleppo, Syria, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo a day after storming it with little resistance from government troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)

The bodies of Syrian army soldiers and allied fighters lie next to a Syrian army vehicle after being allegedly killed in combat by opposition fighters in Aleppo, Syria, early Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo a day after storming it with little resistance from government troops.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)