Box Office: Disney’s ‘Encanto’ Debuts to $1.5 Million, ‘House of Gucci’ Nets $1.3 Million in Tuesday Previews

Naman Ramachandran Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci,” starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, continued atop the U.K. and Ireland box office in its second weekend.

Refresh for latest..: We’re in a sort of holding pattern at the international box office, as big year-end titles are still in the wings. This weekend was all about holdover business — and some further market launches on major pics already in release elsewhere. Last frame’s debut, Disney’s Encanto, leads the session again for the studios with a solid 30% drop, adding $20.7M from 49 material markets for an overseas cume of $58.1M and a global total of $116.1M.

With no new wide releases, Disney’s “Encanto” stayed No. 1 with just $12.7 million grossed in its second weekend.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaMovie theaters may need to offer cheaper tickets and institute vaccine mandates if they want to attract former customers who stopped visiting multiplexes during COVID-19, a new study finds.The report, which was commissioned by Quorum, a film research company, Cultique, a brand consulting firm; and Fanthropology, a fan engagement company, surveyed more than 2,500 pre-pandemic moviegoers.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterFor the first time in a long while, audiences were enticed to leave the couch for new movies that didn’t involve superheroes or speedy cars.Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Disney’s animated musical fable “Encanto” collected a leading $40.3 million between Wednesday and Sunday and MGM’s star-studded crime drama “House of Gucci” brought in $20 million in the same period, a solid haul for pandemic times.

Thanksgiving — “Coco” launched at the same time of year with $72 million and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” did as well with $84 million — the result was the best opening for an animated movie during the pandemic.Family films have been especially slow to bounce back, though with kids increasingly getting vaccinated, hopes have been rising that releases such as “Encanto” can lead a rebound.

“Encanto” has opened to roughly half of which fellow Disney films “Moana” ($82 million) and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” ($84.7 million) earned in their Thanksgiving openings, but is notable for being the first animated film this year to release exclusively in theaters. Studios have hedged their bets on family turnout to theaters by releasing animated films like “Paw Patrol: The Movie” and “Space Jam 2” day-and-date.

SUNDAY AM UPDATE, Refresh for more analysis and chart: Without Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick in the marketplace, the Thanksgiving box office was much lighter than previous holidays, grossing an estimated $141.3M over 5-days, off 46% from 2019’s pre-pandemic holiday.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDisney has reclaimed its rightful place at the top of Thanksgiving box office charts.

“Encanto” is set to take No. 1, adding $11 million on Friday to bring its 3-day total to $24.3 million and its estimated 5-day opening to $43 million, beating projections for a $35-40 million launch.

J. Kim Murphy administratorWhile this year’s Thanksgiving box office will wind up totaling far less than previous years’ holidays, there were still plenty of viewers to go around between the weekend’s offerings.

After earning $7.5 million on opening day, “Encanto” has added $5.8 million on Thanksgiving Day to bring its total to $13.3 million heading into the weekend. While tracking is difficult at this point, the film appears to be on track to beat pre-release projections of $35-40 million.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney’s “Encanto,” a magical fable that has earned critical raves, led a muted Thanksgiving box office, earning $5.8 million on Thursday and pushing its domestic total to $13.3 million.This holiday is shaping up to be far quieter than past ones, a sign that COVID-19 continues to depress ticket sales in the U.S. despite the widespread availability of boosters and vaccines for younger children.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney’s “Encanto” topped the Wednesday box office, netting $7.5 million in its first full day of release. The family film has heavy competition over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Encanto,” Disney’s latest animated feature that boasts original music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, earned $1.5 million in its box office preview screenings Tuesday night ahead of a busy Thanksgiving weekend at the box office. “Encanto” opens alongside MGM’s “House of Gucci” starring Lady Gaga and Sony/Screen Gems’ “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” a reboot of the video game action and horror franchise.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterIn keeping with holiday tradition, Disney is poised to stuff the box office competition over Thanksgiving.The studio’s new animated adventure “Encanto” opens on Wednesday and looks to be the de facto choice for family audiences, but that doesn’t mean the weekend’s other new nationwide releases will have to settle for scraps.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is on top!

Jordan Moreau Halloween may be over, but the ghosts are here to stay. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” picked up $4.5 million in Thursday previews.The spooky Sony sequel is expected to generate a three-day total of around $27-30 million, taking a first-place finish at the domestic box office over fellow releases “King Richard” from Warner Bros.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSony’s supernatural comedy sequel “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is aiming to generate $30 million from 4,300 theaters in its domestic box office debut.The final weekend figure could vary slightly, with the studio predicting a three-day tally near $28 million and independent tracking services estimating a start closer to $35 million. In any case, the PG-13 “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is eyeing a first-place finish on domestic box office charts.