Thanksgiving Box Office Showdown: Zootopia 2 and Wicked Set to Gobble Up the Holiday Weekend
Post-Thanksgiving box office gets its groove back as Zootopia 2 and Wicked For Good hit projections, setting up a killer holiday for theaters.
Thanksgiving at the movies is looking like deja vu in the best possible way: two giant musicals muscling everyone else aside, a Disney sequel pulling huge family numbers, and a couple of specialty titles quietly winning the weekend on a per-screen basis. Different year, same vibe.
The big two (again)
Disney is about to own the holiday. 'Zootopia 2' is tracking for a massive $140 million across the five-day stretch from Wednesday to Sunday (Deadline has it at that level), with a three-day weekend of $88–90 million. That clears the original film's $75 million debut and then some, even if it still won't sniff last year's bonkers 'Moana 2' opening at $225 million.
On the musical side, 'Wicked: For Good' looks strong but not as strong as its predecessor. Current pace: a $91 million five-day versus the first film's $118 million over the same period. That gap fits the broader 2025 trend — the box office is just softer across the board.
Why exhibitors are still smiling
It's been a slog since September's back-to-back highs of 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' and 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.' The usual Thanksgiving bump isn't really showing up for most new releases this year, but the top-end strength from 'Zootopia 2' and 'Wicked: For Good' is exactly the kind of oxygen theaters needed.
The rest of the field
'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' is headed for a modest $8.5 million over the standard three-day window. 'Predator: Badlands' should land around $5.4 million for the three-day — call it 5.4-ish; the quick-and-dirty predictions round it to $5.5 million.
Overachievers to watch
The little movie making the loudest noise is A24's rom-com 'Eternity,' which is over-performing with a potential fifth-place finish at $5.4 million while playing on only about 1,300 screens. If audiences show up — and they should — they'll find a gem. On the prestige side, Focus Features' awards hopeful 'Hamnet' is thriving in limited release, aiming for around $1.4 million over the five-day with a sturdy $11K-plus per-screen average.
Thanksgiving weekend predictions
- Zootopia 2: $140 million (five-day)
- Wicked: For Good: $90 million (five-day)
- Now You See Me: Now You Don't: $8.5 million (three-day)
- Predator: Badlands: $5.5 million (three-day)
- Eternity: $5.4 million (three-day)
What are you seeing over the holiday? Tell me in the comments — and yes, I'm counting popcorn as a side dish.