Why ‘Encanto’ and ‘House of Gucci’ Box Office Debuts Are Cause for Celebration… and Concern

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDon’t underestimate Peter Parker.That’s the takeaway this weekend after Sony’s comic book adventure “Spider-Man: No Way Home” crushed box office expectations, generating a mammoth $253 million from 4,336 theaters in North America.It was easily the best domestic opening weekend turnout of any movie in pandemic times. Prior to this weekend, no other COVID-era film had been able to cross even $100 million in a single weekend.

Naman Ramachandran Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed musical “West Side Story” and beloved canine mascot-hero property “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” were neck and neck for pole position at the U.K. and Ireland weekend box office.Disney release “West Side Story” topped the charts with £1.297 million ($1.72 million), while eOne release “Clifford the Big Red Dog” was just behind with £1.293 million ($1.71 million), according to numbers released by Comscore.

Despite the pedigree of director Steven Spielberg and incredibly strong audience and critical reception, this musical with a $100 million production budget grossed a mere $4 million from 2,820 locations on Friday, including $800,000 from Thursday 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.

Encanto is still on top.

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

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterWithout any new releases to pose a threat, Disney’s animated musical fable “Encanto” has again notched the No. 1 spot on domestic box office charts.In its second weekend of release, “Encanto” has collected $12.38 million from 3,980 venues in the U.S.

J. Kim Murphy administratorAs is fitting for the days after Thanksgiving, moviegoers are largely turning out for leftovers this weekend.

“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.

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 is on top at the box office!

“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.