Anyone who follows Disney’s track record and keeps an eye on international box office patterns probably expected Zootopia 2 to be a strong performer overseas, especially in China.
But even the most optimistic forecasts didn’t come close to anticipating just how massive the sequel is on its way to becoming.
As the current film slate scrambles to grab as many dollars as possible before Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on December 19th, here's the weekend box office statistics for Dec 5-7, along with where each film currently stands, financially.
Zootopia 2 grossed another $43 million at the North American box office this weekend, and another (jaw-dropping) $219 million from international markets, for a total worldwide weekend gross of $262 million.
The Zootopia brand has become a powerhouse in China, thanks in part to the dedicated Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney’s savvy marketing, which smartly tied the film’s animal portrayals to elements of the Chinese zodiac - it's currently The Year of the Snake!
That strategy has paid off in a big way. The sequel’s box office in China has soared to $430.4 million, nearly doubling the combined $220.4 million haul in the U.S. and Canada.
Keep in mind that the film is achieving this success on an estimated $150 million production budget, as some analysts are predicting a $1.5-$1.7 billion final, global box office tally.
In its opening weekend, the Five Nights at Freddy's sequel amassed $63 million from domestic theaters and another $46.0 million from international markets, for a worldwide opening weekend gross of $109 million.
The film carries a modest $36 million price tag.
Despite even lower reviews for the sequel, it seems the latest entry is well on its way to profitability for Blumhouse Productions and Universal, meaning a third entry is likely on the way.
While much of the box office chatter is currently centered on Zootopia 2's dominating performance, Wicked: For Good is quietly trudging along, bringing in another $16.75 million from North American screens and another $13.4 million from international territories.
Wicked: For Good now stands at $440.1 million globally and counting.
Looking ahead, additional box office dollars for the sequel from this point on will essentially count as profit, as the $150 million sequel has more than likely just reached its break-even point after just three weekends in theaters.
The debut of GKids' release of Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution grossed a respectable $10.15 million domestically. Keep in mind that this is a TV special (compilation film), that mostly upscales footage previously aired in season 2 of the anime, while also showing footage from the forthcoming third season.
The film was already released in several other international territories (including Japan) back in November. The film has a current, worldwide box office gross of $40.35 million.
Now You See Me: Now You Don't, the third installment in the Now You See Me film series now stands at $210 million worldwide, after collecting $9 million internationally and $3.5 million domestically, this past weekend.
The film hits this mark after wrapping up its fourth weekend in theaters.
The film has a price tag of $90 million.