The U.S. domestic box office surged this weekend as Zootopia 2 delivered a thunderous debut, powering the overall market to one of its strongest early-December frames in recent years. Backed by strong family turnout and Disney’s heavyweight marketing push, the animated sequel opened to a colossal $96.8 million, instantly becoming the weekend’s dominant force and setting the tone for a robust holiday corridor ahead.
The film played across 4,000 theaters, scoring a healthy $24,200 per-theater average, and pushed its first-weekend domestic total to $156 million. The strength of the brand, combined with pent-up demand for family titles, makes Zootopia 2 a likely long-legged performer heading into December.
Wicked: For Good Stays Strong at No. 2
Universal’s musical fantasy Wicked: For Good claimed the second spot with $62.8 million, dropping 57% from last weekend. Despite the fall, the film continues to perform exceptionally well for its genre, bringing its domestic total to $270.4 million. With strong repeat turnout from fans and the holiday season approaching, the film remains a significant winner for Universal.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t Takes Third Place
Lionsgate’s heist sequel Now You See Me: Now You Don’t secured the No. 3 spot with $7 million, easing 22% from last week. After three weekends, the film stands at $49.67 million domestically. While not a breakout, the franchise continues to enjoy a stable fan base and solid holds.
Holdover Highlights
Predator: Badlands Adds $4.8M
The action-horror entry Predator: Badlands brought in $4.8 million, down 27% from the previous frame. With a current domestic total of $85.04 million, the film has shown durable legs for the franchise and continues to benefit from genre-driven turnout.
The Running Man Crosses $34M
Paramount’s sci-fi thriller The Running Man collected $3.72 million, dropping 35%. It now stands at $34.25 million domestically and should complete a respectable mid-range run.
New Releases & Limited Breakouts
Eternity Opens with $3.17M
A24’s meditative drama Eternity debuted at No. 6 with $3.169M from 1,348 theaters. With strong critical reception and strong hold potential in the arthouse circuit, the film is likely to benefit from awards-season momentum.
Hamnet Delivers a Strong Prestige Launch
Focus Features released Hamnet to an impressive $880k from just 119 screens — one of the weekend’s strongest per-theater averages at over $7,395. With expansion planned, this is among the most promising awards-corridor entries of the month.
Other Notable Performers
Rental Family
Searchlight’s comedy Rental Family grossed $2.1 million, though it dipped 37% in its second weekend, taking its domestic total past $7.39 million.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
The limited theatrical rollout for Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery added $1.5 million, maintaining strong demand ahead of its eventual streaming debut.
SISU: Road to Revenge
Sony’s action sequel SISU: Road to Revenge slid 66% to $810k, with its domestic cume at $4.12 million.
Nuremberg
Historical drama Nuremberg posted $685k, bringing its total to $12.45 million.
Regretting You
Paramount’s drama Regretting You earned $460k, now at $48.53 million domestically — a solid result for a mid-budget title.
Sentimental Value
Neon’s indie drama Sentimental Value added $451k, holding decently from 284 theaters.
Black Phone 2
Universal’s horror sequel Black Phone 2 took in $354k, now boasting a strong $77.2M domestic haul.
Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Peze Arc
Sony’s anime entry Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Peze Arc earned $285k, pushing its U.S. total to $43.26M.
Market Outlook: December Heats Up
With Zootopia 2 setting the holiday box office ablaze and multiple prestige titles expanding, the upcoming weeks are stacked with high-interest releases and strong holdover potential.
Family films, tentpoles, and awards-season dramas are expected to drive attendance deeper into December, giving the domestic market a healthy close to 2025’s final quarter.
Note: Box Office Numbers are subject to change with more updates
