Box Office: ‘Moana’ Repeats At #1 With $28.3 Million

Box Office, News, Top Story

Why is it that the weekend after a major holiday Hollywood refrains from pushing movies to the masses? Because that’s what happened the weekend after Thanksgiving. We only got one new release in the Top 10 (Incarnate) and it was only released on 1,737 screens.

Instead of major competition, Disney’s Moana and Warner Brothers’ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them retained their first and second place finishes from a week prior. In twelve days, Moana is pacing better than its animated hit Frozen with $119.8 million.

Fantastic Beasts added another $18.5 million to its to bring it to $183.5 million in three weeks. Worldwide it has surpassed $600 million.

One of Paramount’s Oscar hopefuls, Arrival, moved up two spaces to take bronze with $7.3 million, while another Paramount release, Robert Zemeckis’ Allied, maintained its fourth position with $7 million. If older viewers weren’t attracted to the star power of Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, they ventured to Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, which moved up two positions, from ninth to seventh, as it brought its five-week total to $57 million.

While it may not be Die Hard or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the comedy Almost Christmas continues to attract audiences. In four weekends it has grossed $38 million vs. a $17 million budget.

Outside of the Top 10 Oscar hopefuls Jackie and Manchester by the Sea got a boost. Opening at five locations, the Natalie Portman-starring Jackie posted the fifth-best PTA of 2016 with $275k from five locations. Amazon Studios’ Manchester expanded from 48 screens to 156 and made $2.3 million to bring its domestic total to $4.4 million. For comparison sake, Warren Beatty’s $25 million Rules Don’t Apply has only made $3.3 million.

A complete breakdown of the Top 10 can be found below.

01. Moana – $28.3 Million
02. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – $18.5 Million
03. Arrival – $7.3 Million
04. Allied – $7 Million
05. Doctor Strange – $6.4 Million
06. Trolls – $4.6 Million
07. Hacksaw Ridge – $3.4 Million
08. Bad Santa 2 – $3.2 Million
09. Incarnate – $2.6 Million
10. Almost Christmas – $2.5 Million

Travis Leamons is one of the Inside Pulse Originals and currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Inside Pulse Movies. He's told that the position is his until he's dead or if "The Boss" can find somebody better. I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun. That's an order!