Frozen 2 freezes out the box office competition with $127 million opening
Disney’s Frozen 2 may take place in a world with freezing temperatures, but fans melted the ice with their warm reception of the animated film, to the tune of an estimated $127 million opening this weekend. It shattered box office records, becoming the biggest opening ever for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Ford v Ferrari seizes second place in the race with an estimated $16 million during its second week in theaters, falling from the top spot. Another new title, the Tom Hanks-led A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, takes third place with an estimated $13.5 million.
Closing out the top five are newcomer 21 Bridges ($9.3 million) and returning military drama Midway with $4.7 million.
Frozen 2 ‘s huge debut is unsurprising, given the enormous success of the 2013 original, which opened to a staggering $243.4 million. The sequel sees the return of everyone’s favorite characters Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Olaf (Josh Gad) as they leave Arendelle to travel to the ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land as they set out to discover the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom.
Moviegoers gave the film an A- rating, and reviews from critics were largely positive — though most agree it was probably a sequel they could have lived without. EW gave the movie a B saying, it’s “a sequel in an age of connected universes, so the movie does its best to mimic that feeling of a larger mythology. But the only thing it has to draw on for reference is the first movie, so Frozen 2 treats viewers to multiple rehashes of the plot of Frozen.”
Tom Hanks brings to life beloved children’s show host Fred Rogers in the Marielle Heller directed bio-drama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The film brings to life the friendship between Rogers and journalist Tom Junod, who wrote the now famous Esquire profile “Can You Say…Hero?” that the film is based on. The production co-stars Matthew Rhys in the role of Lloyd Vogel, a fictionalized version of Junod.
EW gave the title a B+ saying, Heller’s “minor-key storytelling may not be what viewers hoping for either hagiography or exposé will expect from Neighborhood; it’s a much quieter, less conclusive movie than that. But nearly impossible not to L-I-K-E, exactly as it is.”
One thing is for certain, at least — Hanks is being lauded for his portrayal of Rogers with critics hailing the legendary TV and film actor’s performance as “absolute perfection.” As an added bonus, Hanks, it was recently discovered, is actually related to Fred Rogers in real life.
Chadwick Boseman’s 21 Bridges takes a respectful fourth place, where he stars as an NYPD detective who is thrust into a manhunt for cop killers after he uncovers a massive conspiracy. The Brian Kirk-directed drama co-stars Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Taylor Kitsch, and Keith David.
EW gave the film a B saying the screenplay “keeps zigging nearly every time you wish it would zag, piling on heavy exposition and hoary lines.” Adding that “Boseman and James, particularly, seem aching to break free of [it]. There’s a sharper, less expected drama lurking just at the edges here; but wishing for some kind of subtlety, particularly in the wake of the movie’s blood-soaked finale, might be a bridge too far.”
Moviegoers this weekend mostly agree with critics, giving the film a B+, according to Cinemascore.
Overall, box office is down a whopping 7.0 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore. That number had been steadily shrinking over the summer, but it’s shot back up now as we approach the end of the year. Check out the Nov. 22-24 numbers below:
Frozen 2— $127 million
Ford v Ferrari—$16 million
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood—$13.5 million
21 Bridges— $9.3 million
Midway — $4.7 million
Playing With Fire — $4.6 million
The Good Liar — $3.4 million
Charlie’s Angels — $3.2 million
Last Christmas — $3 million
Joker — $3 million