Disney, Pixar top Thanksgiving openings
the animated movie
LOS ANGELES — Coco gave Disney and Pixar much to be thankful for over the long Thanksgiving weekend, as the highly reviewed animation led new releases on North American screens, according to industry data released on Monday.
The film, which tells the story of a 12-year-old Mexican, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), who longs to become a musician but faces a generations-old family ban on music, netted an estimated $50.8 million over the threeday weekend and $72.9 million over the Wednesdaythrough-Sunday period, says research firm Exhibitor Relations.
Coco, which takes Miguel into the magical Land of the Dead, where trickster Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) helps him unravel a deep family secret, received a rare A+ rating from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore.
Disney and Pixar now claim the top six Thanksgiving openings of all time, according to the Hollywood Reporter, led by Frozen, with a five-day opening generating $93.6 million.
In second place for the weekend was Warner Bros film Justice League, with a three-day take of $41.1 million in its second week of release. The superhero flick has an allstar cast of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, who join forces to fend off supervillain Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).
In third place was Lionsgate’s feel-good film Wonder, with a better-than-expected net of $22.7 million. The movie, starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay, tells the story of a fifth-grade boy with a facial deformity who must deal with other children’s shock and bullying when he first attends a mainstream school.
Thor: Ragnarok, from Disney-owned Marvel, claimed fourth place with $16.9 million. The film features the self-effacing humor of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god and Cate Blanchett as death goddess Hela.
Fifth place went to comedy Daddy’s Home 2, at $13.22 million. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as the less-than-competent co-parents of Wahlberg’s kids as they cope with their own visiting fathers (John Lithgow and Mel Gibson).