Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ bashing Thanksgiving records

It’s still early in the U.S. holiday weekend, but Disney’s (NYSE:DIS) key animated sequel Moana 2 is setting sail for the box-office record books.

The movie impressed with $57.5M in domestic grosses on Wednesday, after a preview total of $13.8M, and added $28M on Thursday, marking the biggest Thanksgiving ever for a film. On Friday morning, Disney (DIS) said the film had taken in $109.6M on a global basis through Thursday.

It’s tracking to some $175M-plus in domestic box office over the five-day holiday weekend — with Disney staying on the conservative side, but rival studios expecting it could hit $200M.

That’s easily on pace to become the biggest Thanksgiving film ever, surpassing the five-day total of 2019’s Frozen II ($125M), and perhaps the best five-day opening ever.

Its predecessor Moana, released in 2016, landed at a total of $248.8M domestically and $643.3M on a worldwide basis. It opened to just over $82M in its five-day Thanksgiving release.

Moana 2 was originally planned as a streaming television show before changing plans shifted into a theatrical release. The franchise is getting a live-action version set for 2026.

Meanwhile, the holiday weekend is also looking huge industrywide, with help from two high-earning holdovers.

Musical blockbuster Wicked (CMCSA) aims for a second big weekend after garnering just under $145M domestically to lead the box office last week, with another $50M added in worldwide. And Gladiator II (PARA) (PARAA) has added up to just under $142M domestically and adds another $165.5M overseas, adding up to over $307M on a global basis.