Imagine a blockbuster so powerful it turns Thanksgiving into a cinematic feast, shattering records and leaving audiences buzzing—welcome to the wild world of box office battles where sequels reign supreme! Zootopia 2 has just claimed the second-largest Thanksgiving opening ever, proving doubters wrong and cementing its spot as a potential powerhouse for 2025. But here's where it gets controversial: Is this animated juggernaut destined to redefine family entertainment, or are we overlooking the risks of over-relying on familiar franchises? Stick around as we dive into the numbers, the surprises, and the flops that make this holiday weekend unforgettable.
Picture this: Back in 2016, Disney's original Zootopia burst onto screens with a $75 million debut, ultimately racking up $341 million domestically—landing it seventh place for the year—and a whopping $1.02 billion globally, securing fourth spot. It's even the fifth-highest-grossing non-sequel animated film ever. Fast-forward nine years, and its follow-up, Zootopia 2, is dominating the season. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, it pulled in $96.8 million, building to $156 million since Wednesday, including those early Tuesday previews. For context, if you're new to box office talk, these figures represent ticket sales at cinemas, a key measure of a film's immediate popularity and potential staying power. My own experience? I caught the 4:20 matinee screening, and it was completely sold out—talk about fan excitement!
That five-day haul of $156 million puts Zootopia 2 at eighth in November starts, but analysts predict its 12-day tally will climb even higher next week, potentially boasting one of the top five second-weekend performances for any November release. To put that in perspective, Frozen II managed $163.8 million in its first five days, and Zootopia 2 could join the elite club of just seven November films surpassing $250 million in 12 days—five of which exceeded $424 million. Will it have the endurance for such a milestone? Time will tell, but the momentum is undeniable.
And this is the part most people miss: While its domestic success is impressive, Zootopia 2's global performance is what really sets it apart. Fueled by massive enthusiasm in China—where it nearly matched Avengers: Endgame's single-day Hollywood record—the film has already crossed $556 million worldwide. Its $400 million international earnings rank eighth for 2025, with China alone contributing over $271 million. By next weekend, it could crack the top five, marching toward the billion-dollar mark as the year's second Hollywood film to do so, right behind Lilo & Stitch. Of course, the Chinese import Ne Zha 2 leads with $1.9 billion, almost all from overseas markets. For beginners wondering why international numbers matter so much, it's simple: Hollywood films often make the bulk of their money abroad, turning global appeal into a make-or-break factor.
Now, shifting gears to other holiday contenders, last year's Wicked snagged the fourth-best 10-day November total at $263.1 million. Its sequel, Wicked: For Good, has edged that out with $270.4 million so far, adding $62.8 million over the weekend and $93 million since Wednesday. As we forecasted earlier, Part Two's debut outperformed Part One's, though it might not surpass the overall haul. That said, Universal is celebrating a major win with these robust numbers. Compare it to Part One's Thanksgiving weekend: $81.1 million (three days) and $118.2 million (five days), a dip for Part Two, achieved amid stiff competition from Moana 2's record-breaking $225 million five-day start (which then dropped 63% to $51.2 million the following weekend). For Good's performance aligns more with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 than Catching Fire, suggesting a domestic finish between $375-399 million—teetering just shy of $400 million, even as it nears that mark globally at $393 million.
Meanwhile, Now You See Me: Now You Don't garnered $7 million over the weekend and $10.1 million since Wednesday, pushing its 17-day domestic total to $49.6 million, with overseas earnings topping $137 million. It's not on the scale of the top tiers, but it's carving out success. Historically, only Starship Troopers and Gothika hit $45-50 million after three weekends without reaching $60 million. Now You Don't sits right in the middle, boasting the sixth-best third weekend among those 12 films. It outpaces Christmas with the Kranks, The Haunted Mansion, and A Bad Moms Christmas (all over $70 million), and even bested The Haunted Mansion's third frame by about $800,000.
Predator: Badlands wrapped its fourth weekend with $4.8 million, adding $6.6 million since Wednesday for a 24-day domestic sum of $85 million. Just three November films surpassing $80 million by this point failed to hit $100 million: The Marvels, Red One, and Unbreakable. Red One, with its $7 million fourth weekend, fell hard later and leads Predator by a few million. While the $105 million budget makes this a letdown theatrically, hopes rest on VOD and home video to recoup losses. Still, at $173.7 million worldwide, it's the highest-grossing Predator film ever—a silver lining for fans of the franchise.
There's no sugarcoating it: Paramount's The Running Man is shaping up as one of 2025's biggest theatrical disappointments. After 17 days, the $110 million remake has only $34.2 million domestically and $26 million internationally, with $5.5 million from Wednesday to Sunday and a meager $3.7 million third weekend. The 1987 Schwarzenegger original fared better over its Thanksgiving third frame: $5.36 million (three days) and $7.97 million (five days). At this pace, Edgar Wright's take on Stephen King's story might barely outdo the original's earnings. And this ties into a broader issue: Paramount's theatrical woes, especially post-merger with Skydance in August. Their 2026 lineup looks promising with Scream, a new Scary Movie, and animated hits like Paw Patrol and Last Airbender—could this signal a turnaround, or is it too little, too late?
A24's Eternity, starring Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen, struggled to connect, earning just $3.1 million over the weekend and $5.2 million since Wednesday across 1,348 theaters. For comparison's sake, A24's prior limited launches in 900-1,999 theaters include Free Fire ($994,431 opening in 1,070 spots), Zola ($1.2 million in 1,468), You Hurt My Feelings ($1.39 million in 912), and Opus ($1.01 million in 1,764). It's a reminder that even acclaimed casts and stories need wider buzz to thrive.
Hakari's Rental Family, featuring Brendan Fraser, added $2.1 million in its second weekend and $3 million since Wednesday, hitting $7.3 million in 10 days. Fraser's Oscar-winning turn in The Whale, initially on A24, grossed $17.4 million during awards season. This is Searchlight's second 2025 release, with Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On? and Mona Fastvold's The Testament of Ann Lee upcoming—watch for how these build on Rental Family's modest start.
Focus's Hamnet, directed by Chloe Zhao, debuted in 119 theaters with $880,000 over the weekend and $1.3 million in five days. Ironically, Focus's 2008 comedy Hamlet 2 opened in 103 theaters at $439,925, then expanded to 1,597 for $1.69 million the next week. Hamnet aims for a bigger splash with wider release, appealing to book fans and those drawn to Jessie Buckley's performance as awards buzz grows.
Jalmari Helander's 2023 Sisu grossed a solid $7.26 million as a non-English action film. Its sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge—mostly in English with intense visuals—opened last week and tacked on $1.2 million over the holiday for a 10-day total of $4.1 million.
Finally, Sony Classics' Nuremberg closed out the top 10 with $749,000 over the weekend and $1.08 million since Wednesday, reaching $12.5 million. It's their top domestic earner since 2017's Call Me By Your Name at $18.09 million.
(As for Netflix's Wake Up Dead Man, released in 600 theaters, they haven't shared numbers, so while some reports suggest top-10 potential, it won't be counted officially here.)
Beyond the top 10, Kleber Mendonca Filho's The Secret Agent, with Wagner Moura, earned $46,000 in two theaters—a $23,000 per-theater average, Neon's third-best this year after Sentimental Value ($50,008) and Orwell: 2+2=5 ($25,887 in one spot). It added $71,000 since Wednesday. Meanwhile, Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value pulled in $451,000 across 284 theaters and $666,000 since Wednesday, totaling $2.3 million.
On the horizon, horror fans might find respite in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, counter-programming the holiday with its video game roots—the first film made $80 million despite home availability. Bleecker Street brings Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey parody. Sony Classics offers Merrily We Roll Along with Daniel Radcliffe. And Lionsgate unleashes Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Tarantino's epic.
Full List of Box Office Results: November 26-30, 2025
- Zootopia 2 – $96.8 million (3-day) $156.0 million (5-day) ($156.0 million total)
- Wicked: For Good – $62.8 million (3-day) $93.0 million (5-day) ($270.4 million total)
- Now You See Me: Now You Don’t – $7.0 million (3-day) $10.1 million (5-day) ($49.6 million total)
- Predator: Badlands – $4.8 million (3-day) $6.6 million (5-day) ($85.0 million total)
- The Running Man – $3.7 million (3-day) $5.5 million (5-day) ($34.2 million total)
- Eternity – $3.1 million (3-day) $4.9 million (5-day) ($5.2 million total)
- Rental Family – $2.1 million (3-day) $3.0 million (5-day) ($7.3 million total)
- Hamnet – $880,000 (3-day) $1.3 million (5-day) ($1.3 million total)
- Sisu: Road to Revenge – $810,000 (3-day) $1.2 million (5-day) ($4.1 million total)
- Nuremberg – $749,000 (3-day) $1.08 million (5-day) ($12.5 million total)
Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast.
What do you think—will Zootopia 2 really hit that billion-dollar mark, or is the animation boom overstating its appeal? And is The Running Man a sign that classic remakes are doomed, or just a rare misfire? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear your take on these box office trends!
