‘Frozen 2’ heats up weekend box office
Six years after “Frozen” kicked up a pop culture blizzard, the sequel to Elsa, Anna and Olaf ’s adventures topped the box office with an estimated $127 million debut domestically and $350.2 million worldwide, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The opening for the Walt Disney Co.’s “Frozen 2” buried several records. It’s the highest-grossing weekend ever for any animated film globally. It marks a new high in the U.S. and Canada for an animated movie released outside the summer season. And it’s the largest opening for any Walt Disney Animation Studios release.
Disney opted for the week ahead of Thanksgiving to open “Frozen 2,” meaning it will get a significant second-week bump from kids out of school. The first “Frozen” opened over Thanksgiving, earning $93 million in five days and $67 million for the three-day weekend.
The original, though, quickly grew into a sensation, remaining in the top 10 at the box office for 17 weeks and ultimately grossing $1.27 billion. Propelled in part by the hit song “Let it Go,” “Frozen” begat a flurry of merchandizing, untold numbers of Elsa dresses and a Broadway musical. It won two Academy Awards, for best animated feature and original song.
The film brings back much of the talent behind the 2013 original, including the voices of Idina Menzel (Elsa), Kristen Bell (Anna) and Josh Gad (Olaf ). Also returning are songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.