‘Zootopia 2’ three-peats as global box office leader; ‘Freddy’s 2’ plunges; 'Ella McCay' opens with $2.4m

Worldwide box office: December 12-14

Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates. 

’Zootopia 2’ still running 

Disney’s Zootopia 2 continued to dominate the global box office this weekend, once again topping Comscore’s chart with a third-weekend estimated worldwide gross of $157.4m. 

The animated smash has now amassed $1.14bn – $877.7m from international and $259m from North America – making it Hollywood’s biggest global performer of the year (passing the live action Lilo& Stitch, though still far behind Chinese smash Ne Zha 2) and taking it past the lifetime total of 2016’s original Zootopia. 

Internationally, the sequel took an estimated $131.1m over the weekend from 52 material territories, a drop of 41% from the previous weekend. The sequel held up particularly well in Japan, where it was down a mere 13%, Australia (-16%), Germany (-19%), Korea (-20%), Mexico (-23%) and France (-25%). 

In China, the sequel became Hollywood’s second biggest performer of all time (behind only Avengers: Endgame), with a total to date of $502.4m. Other big territory totals include $36.4m from France, $35m from Korea, $27.7m from Japan, $24.9m from Mexico, $22.6m from Germany and $20.6m from the UK. 

In North America, Zootopia 2 took an estimated $26.3m from 3,835 locations for the weekend, down a modest 39%, enough to return it to the top of the region’s box office chart. 

Drops for ’Freddy’s 2’ and ’Wicked: For Good’

Universal/Blumhouse’s Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 dropped sharply in its second weekend, but held on to second place in the global ranking with an estimated $38.6m, for a total to date of $173.8m. 

In the international market place, where it opened in two smaller territories, the horror sequel was down 58% with an estimated weekend take of $19.1m, for a total of $78.3m so far. The second installment took $3m in Mexico, for a local total of $11.7m; $1.4m in the UK and Ireland, for a total of $7m; and $1.2m in Australia, for a tally of $4.4m. 

A 70% drop in North America saw Freddy’s 2 take $19.5m for the weekend, for $95.5m to date. 

The sequel’s next major opening comes on January 23 in Japan. 

In its fourth weekend, Universal’s Wicked: For Good had a smaller drop-off, taking an estimated $16.2m. That made for a global total to date of $468m, which leaves the musical second installment significantly behind the $525m amassed after four weekends by last year’s first part Wicked. 

For Good was down 44% in international markets, with a $7.7m weekend take and a $155.8m total. The UK and Ireland contributed $2.4m, for a local tally so far of $53.6m, in line with the figure for the first film. Australia brought in $1.1m, for a total of $17.9m. 

In North America For Good was down 51% to $8.6m, for a total of $312.1m and third place on the local chart. 

The sequel faces a big test when in opens in China on December 24. 

Asian entries make ground

Asian films took four of the top ten places on the weekend’s chart, with India’s Akhanda 2 – Thaadavam entering in sixth place with an estimated $9.8m from its first weekend on wide release (and a total of $10.2m after limited openings last weekend). 

A sequel to 2021 blockbuster Akhanda, the Telugu-language fantasy thriller is directed by Boyapati Srinu and has Namdamuri Balakrishna returning as the title warrior, this time using his divine strength to battle masterminds trying to plunge India into chaos. 

Also from India, Dhurandhar moved up from fifth to third place on the global chart after taking an estimated $23.8m over the weekend, for a total so far of $61.3m. 

China’s Gezhi Town dropped from fourth to fifth place with an estimated $9.9m, for a $42.8m total. And Japan’s Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution slipped from sixth to eighth with $5.6m for the weekend and $48.9m to date. 

 Little joy for ’Ella McCay’

The weekend’s only brand new release, Disney’s Ella McCay, had a weak opening, with an estimated $2.4m from six markets. 

The comedy drama managed $300,000 from five international territories, including the UK and Australia, and $2.1m from 2,500 locations in North America. 

James L Brooks, best known as co-creator of TV’s Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for such features as Broadcast News and Terms Of Endearment, wrote and directed the story of an idealistic young woman trying to juggle family and work. Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jack Lowden lead the ensemble cast of the film, Brooks’ first feature as director since 2010’s How Do You Know. 

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