BOX OFFICE: “Zootopia 2” Zooms Past “Wicked 2”

A blockbusting $39.5 million Wednesday, a $19.7 million Thanksgiving Day and a $38-39 million Black Friday bounce put Disney’s “Zootopia 2” in almost the same spot “Moana 2” was in last Thanksgiving — in the box office catbird seat.

Deadline.com is projecting a $153 million opening week/weekend thanks to that animation-starved family movie audience. “Moana 2” reeled in some $225 million on the same week/weekend last year. Perhaps word of mouth isn’t doing wonders for the “Zootopia” sequel, which is headed for a $98-100 million three day weekend after that huge Wednesday take.Decent reviews can’t hurt.

“Wicked: For Good” is falling off to $60-63 million weekend (a 60% plunge). That’s precipitous enough to make one wonder ifthis “joyless sequel” will have the legs of its predecessor. But depending on Sunday’s take, it could be just ahead of “Wicked’s” pace when the receipts are added up Monday.

“Now You See Me Now You Don’t” should manage $7 million for third place as it clears the $50 million mark.

“Predator: Badlands” is due another $4.4 million and change for the three day weekend and is inching towards that $100 million mark (It’ll still be under $90 by Sunday night).

And thelumbering “Running Man” remake isn’t quite gassed, with a $3-3.5 million weekend keeping it in the top five, pushing it over the $35 million mark (a small fraction of its production budget).

A24’s all-star afterlife romance “Eternity” is doing quite well for a niche release, earning a little less than $3 million to come in sixth place. Mixed reviews for that one.

Is Netflix reporting its “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” box office? It’s not great, not even that good — $1.5 million for the weekend, $3 million since Wednesday. Most people are waiting to watch it on streaming, the smart move in this case. That’ll crack the top ten. In seventh place. And no, that’s not a good take for a movie Netflix has built into a franchise that opened VERY wide.

Rental Family,” “Sisu 2” and the new tragedy of Shakespeare’s life, “Hamnet” are slated to be in the second half of the top ten in an order only Sunday’s final tally will reveal.

I’ll update this accordingly on Sunday.

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About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
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