With 2013's
Frozen hauling in a worldwide total over $1.2 billion, its sequel has some mighty big ice crystals to fill. It's off to a good start with a current estimated weekend of $130M-$140M — a new November record for best opening for an animated film.
According to Deadline,
Frozen 2 took in $42.4M on Friday (which includes $8.5M from Thursday). Its opening weekend haul will push Disney's domestic box office total to over $3 billion for 2019.
The studio was sitting at a yearly domestic total of $2.946 billion prior to
Frozen 2's release thanks to a string of successful blockbuster movies that included
Avengers: Endgame ($858.3M),
The Lion King ($543.6M),
Toy Story 4 ($434M),
Captain Marvel ($426.8M), and
Aladdin ($355.6M). There was also the release of
Dumbo ($114.7),
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ($106.9M) and
Penguins ($7.7) adding to the total, which does not include Fox movies. If including Fox or Fox Searchlight films, it would push Disney's total well past $3.5 billion.
This is the third year that DIsney has topped $3 billion domestically. The studio first accomplished this feat in 2016 with the help of
Finding Dory,
Rogue One, and
Captain America: Civil War. Though it failed to eclipse that mark in 2017, it did so again last year thanks to the releases of
Avengers: Infinity War and
Incredibles 2. Between
Frozen 2's holiday season legs and the upcoming release of
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Disney should blow past any previous box office records it has set.
Frozen 2 is currently tracking to have the fourth highest domestic opening weekend ever for an an animated film, behind this year's remake of
The Lion King ($191M), last year's
Incredibles 2 ($182M), and 2016's
Finding Dory ($135M). But on a worldwide level, it's on pace to become the first animated film with a $300 million-plus global opening, topping
The Lion King's $245.9 million.
Why was Elsa born with magical powers? What truths about the past await Elsa as she ventures into the unknown to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond Arendelle? The answers are calling her but also threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she'll face a dangerous but remarkable journey. In “Frozen,” Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In “Frozen 2,” she must hope they are enough.
Frozen 2 is now playing in theaters.