Disney and Universal Pictures led a strong Thanksgiving weekend at the box office as moviegoers packed theatres during the extended holiday break. Disney’s “Zootopia 2” emerged as the top performer, earning an impressive $156 million over the five-day holiday period across 4,000 North American cinemas, including $96.8 million from Friday to Sunday, according to Variety.
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The animated sequel now holds the second-highest Thanksgiving debut in history, trailing only 2024’s “Moana 2” and surpassing the earlier opening of “Frozen II.” The film’s appeal extended far beyond domestic markets, with international earnings reaching a staggering $400 million. A record-breaking $272 million debut in China pushed its global opening to $556 million, securing one of the biggest worldwide launches ever. Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman praised the film’s broad family appeal and strong creative execution.
sequels do well when you establish a reason for a sequel EARLY in the first film! when judy entered zootopia, there were no reptiles or birds in sight and THAT was established before the 30 minute mark of the movie!! https://t.co/31QpHGRngA
— aisha (@arbacn) November 30, 2025
Universal’s “Wicked: For Good”, now in its second weekend, also delivered a solid performance with $93 million domestically. Though its momentum is softer compared to last year’s first “Wicked” installment, the sequel has accumulated $270.4 million in North America and $393.3 million worldwide within ten days, according to Variety.
Overwhelmed by the incredible responses to #Zootopia2. From our dream cast, to the most incredible score by @m_giacchino, to the greatest crew we could ever ask for, this movie was created by hundreds of people who filled every frame with their talent, passion and heart. Thank… pic.twitter.com/DQfPtSLMvj
— Jared Bush (@thejaredbush) December 1, 2025
Despite these standout results, the total Thanksgiving box office reached approximately $293 million, falling short of 2024’s holiday record. Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian described the performance as encouraging, especially after a challenging post-summer season.
“Zootopia 2” continues to benefit from strong reviews, an “A” CinemaScore, and limited family-oriented competitors. Its extraordinary success in China is further strengthened by the opening of Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disneyland. Analyst David A. Gross noted that the market has been tough for U.S. films recently, making the sequel’s breakout particularly notable.
The #Thanksgiving holiday represents one of the most important moviegoing periods of the year and #Zootopia 2 along with #WickedForGood and other notable indie newcomers powered a Top 5 Thanksgiving 5-day total of $290M plus (Wed. – Sun.) industry holiday frame! While short of… pic.twitter.com/nCGUvMutax
— Paul Dergarabedian (@PDergarabedian) November 30, 2025
Among independent titles, A24’s “Eternity” earned $5.2 million over five days, while Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” collected $1.35 million and is already attracting awards buzz. Netflix’s theatrical preview of “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” brought in $4 million ahead of its online release next month.
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Domestic box office revenue for 2025 has now reached $7.5 billion, slightly ahead of last year. Analysts believe that major December releases — including “Zootopia 2,” “Wicked: For Good,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — will be critical in pushing totals past $9 billion before year-end.