Disney's animated film Moana is predicted to earn as much as $88M on a blockbuster debut over the 5-day Thanksgiving period, as per Variety. On Tuesday, Moana set off a record $2.6M in previews, topping off the studio's previous record set by The Good Dinosaur which earned $1.3M last Thanksgiving as per The Hollywood Reporter. This was followed by a stellar performance this Wednesday with a total of $15M, which is just a little below Frozen's $15.2M opening day record as per Box Office Mojo.
Moana is a CGI-animated musical fantasy film set in the islands of Oceania, inspired from Polynesian mythology. It currently has a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" CinemaScore rating, which looks promising on the movie's expected domination for Thanksgiving weekend. The movie is currently playing at 3,875 theaters with moviegoers at 64 percent female and 53 percent under 25, as per Deadline.
Disney expects Moana in the $80+M range over the course of the Thanksgiving period, but industry predictions are setting it at $90M, per Deadline. Moana's other contender for the top spot is Warner Brother's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
But the real question is whether or not Moana can beat Frozen's blockbuster $96.3M Thanksgiving record. As it stands, it looks like another family-oriented movie will top the charts for this weekend. If Moana does beat Frozen's record, it will be another feather in Disney's cap as the studio usually dominates the Thanksgiving weekend, as per CinemaBlend.
