“Moana 2”, the sequel to the 2016 animated film, set a new Thanksgiving weekend box office record with $221 million in ticket sales across the U.S. and Canada, Walt Disney Studios reported on Sunday.
The movie, featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auli‘i Cravalho as voice actors, centers on the reunion of the adventurous Moana with the demigod Maui.
Meanwhile, “Wicked”, the musical adaptation from Universal Pictures, earned $117.5 million from Wednesday to Sunday.
Action epic “Gladiator II”, the Paramount Pictures sequel to the Oscar-winning film, grossed $44 million over the weekend.
“It was a perfect box office storm with three major films that catered to a wide variety of audiences, among other holdovers supporting the market,” Shawn Robbins, founder of movie analysis site Box Office Theory, said.
“Ultimately, this is a welcome reminder to the industry and audiences alike of the power of moviegoing with such historic results on display,” she added.