‘Encanto,’ ‘House of Gucci’ fuel Thanksgiving box office

NEW YORK » Thanksgiving weekend moviegoing was still far from the feast it normally is, but Disney’s “Encanto” and the Lady Gaga-led “House of Gucci” both gave a lift to two genres that have been particularly battered by the pandemic: family movies and adult dramas.

“Encanto” led the box office with $27 million over the weekend and $40.3 million across the five-day holiday frame, according to studio estimates Sunday. While well off the pace of past Disney animated movies released over Thanksgiving — “Coco” launched at the same time of year with $72 million and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” did as well with $84 million.

Family films have been especially slow to bounce back, though with kids increasingly getting vaccinated, hopes have been rising that releases such as “Encanto” can lead a rebound.

Disney earlier this year released films like Pixar’s “Luca” straight to Disney+, but put out “Encanto,” reportedly made for $120 million, exclusively in theaters. The film, about a magical Colombia family and featuring original songs from Lin-manuel Miranda, took in $70 million globally.

MGM’S “House of Gucci,” from director Ridley Scott, debuted with $14.2 million over the three-day weekend and $21.8 million across five days. Scott’s own “The Last Duel,” for Disney, launched with a paltry $4.8 million in October.

The $75 million-budgeted “House of Gucci,” about the family behind the Italian fashion brand, features a large cast including Adam Driver, Jared Leto and Al Pacino. But its star, Lady Gaga, who plays Patrizia Reggiani, especially drove the turnout. According to MGM, 59% of the audience was female and 45% were between the ages of 18-35. About 34% were 45 years and older.

Last week’s top film, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” slid to second place with $24.5 million in its second week after a modest 44% drop. The Sony Pictures release has grossed $87.8 million domestically and $28 million internationally.

In its fourth weekend of release Marvel’s “Eternals” added $7.9 million in ticket sales over the threeday weekend to bring its North America cumulative total to $150.6 million and $368 million globally.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Encanto,” $27 million.

2. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” $24.5 million.

3. “House of Gucci,” $14.2 million.

4. “Eternals,” $2.5 million.

5. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City,” $5.3 million.

6. “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” $4.9 million.

7. “King Richard,” $3.3 million.

8. “Dune,” $2.2 million.

9. “No Time to Die,” $1.8 million.

10. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $1.6 million.