As families gather for Thanksgiving, Hollywood unleashes a feast of cinematic offerings, with Disney's animated 'Wish' and Apple's historical epic 'Napoleon' taking center stage. The box office battle is on, marking a pivotal moment for Disney, hungry for a win after a challenging year, and Apple, betting big on the success of its fully financed historical spectacle.
Disney Animation Studios' 'Wish' hits theaters nationwide after a promising start with $2.3 million in Tuesday previews. Positioned as a holiday tentpole, the music-infused animated film is poised to dominate the Thanksgiving stretch, eyeing a robust five-day performance of $45 million to $50 million, including a weekend projection of $30 million to $35 million. Disney is banking on 'Wish' to deliver the best opening for an original animated film post-COVID-19.
Ridley Scott's historical epic 'Napoleon,' featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the notorious French emperor, enters the Thanksgiving fray. With a solid start of $3 million in Tuesday previews, the Apple Original Film, fully financed by Apple and distributed globally by Sony, is set for a five-day holiday corridor debut of at least $22 million, including a weekend forecast of $16 million.
Lionsgate's 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,' despite a subdued opening of $44 million, aims for a strong holiday performance, topping Tuesday's chart with an estimated $6.6 million. Meanwhile, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's 'Trolls Band Together,' having opened at $30 million, continues its run with a Tuesday earning of $4.7 million. The industry closely watches the battle between 'Trolls' and 'Wish,' historically dominated by Disney during the Thanksgiving frame in terms of animated offerings.
Beyond the mainstream, the specialty box office buzzes with activity as various Oscar contenders strategically use the holiday corridor to expand nationwide. With both holdovers and newcomers aiming to capture audience attention, Thanksgiving becomes a battleground for cinematic excellence.