'Moana 2' sails to Thanksgiving record with smash North America opening

"Moana 2," the sequel to the animated Disney musical about a spunky Polynesian teenager who embarks on seafaring adventures, scored a sensational and record $220 million opening over the long Thanksgiving weekend in North America.

Universal's "Wicked: Part I," the latest offshoot of the classic "Wizard of Oz," raked in $117 million in its second week in theaters over the Wednesday through Sunday US holiday stretch, for a total so far of $262 million, according to industry group Exhibitor Relations.

The organization said the other hotly awaited holiday season release, Paramount's "Gladiator II," came in third place, with five-day revenue of $44 million and a two-week total of $111 million.

But analyst David A. Gross said "Moana 2" shattered expectations as it posted the biggest Thanksgiving start ever.

Gross said the movie did much better than the three-day start of the first "Moana" in 2016, despite the sequel having 'almost never' made it to theaters.

It was initially envisioned as a direct-to-Disney+ streaming production before being shifted to a theatrical release early this year.

"Smart decision. These are gigantic numbers," Gross said.

In the new installment of the Pixar hit, the title character, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, teams up with an unlikely crew and travels the far seas of Oceania to break the curse of an evil god who sank a mystical island that connected other islands.

She gets help from a once-mighty demigod called Maui, who is voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

After a few slack months, the US holiday provided a great week for the North American box office.

Exhibitor Relations said this Thanksgiving delivered a record-breaking estimated total of $422 million.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Wicked" scored one of the biggest openings ever for a big-screen musical last week. This is good news for the film's investors, as "Wicked: Part 2" is set to be released next year.

Wicked movie cast Instagram

Critics say Cynthia Erivo's turn as green-skinned heroine Elphaba is showstopping, while pop music star Ariana Grande, another vocal powerhouse, plays fellow witch Glinda.

In "Gladiator II," Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and a delightfully evil Denzel Washington star in a story set in ancient Rome years after the original film.

The durable director Ridley Scott weaves a tale of ruthless ambition and retribution, spicing up the original by bringing sharks, baboons, and a rhinoceros into the blood-soaked arena.

Dropping one notch to fourth place was the Christmas comedy "Red One" from Amazon and MGM, earning $18.7 million in revenue. Here, Johnson plays a North Pole security officer trying to find a kidnapped Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) on Christmas Eve.

Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal attend the global premiere of 'Gladiator II' in London, Britain, November 13, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kimnukta.com

Fifth place went to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" from Lionsgate, which took $4.9 million at the box office in five days. The film tells the story of six notoriously naughty siblings who accidentally win the lead roles in their town's Christmas pageant.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Bonhoeffer" ($3.2 million)

"Venom: the Last Dance" ($3.1 million)

"The Wild Robot" ($1 million)

"Heretic" ($957,000)

"A Real Pain" ($900,000)