Many of Disney’s live-action adaptations – including Aladdin, Beauty And The Beast and Jungle Book – have been big hits. Others, such as Dumbo, Mulan and The Little Mermaid, have been less well received. More are on the way, including a new Snow White in March, Lilo & Stitch in May, and plans for Moana and Tangled to get the same live-action treatment.
Despite Mufasa’s muted opening, Disney is still celebrating its strongest annual performance in years. The studio has accounted for more than US$5 billion in ticket sales worldwide, including the year’s top two hits: Inside Out 2 and Deadpool And Wolverine. The animated Moana 2 is poised to round out the top three films of the year. In four weeks of release, it has collected US$790.2 million globally, including US$13.1 million in US and Canadian theatres over this weekend.
Though Christmas often sees some of the biggest releases of the year, November movies released around Thanksgiving really drove the box office this year. That includes Moana 2 and Universal Pictures’ Wicked, which managed third place in its fifth weekend.
Wicked, the hit musical adaption starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, added US$13.5 million in North American theaters to push its domestic total to US$383.9 million.
Those films, among others, have led a Hollywood rebound in 2024. After a significant deficit earlier in the year, overall sales are drawing close to those of 2023. According to Comscore, the gap has narrowed to 4.4 per cent behind last year’s results. While that’s still significantly less than pre-pandemic years, it’s enough to flip the script on what once looked like a rough year for the movies.
Family films like Inside Out 2, Moana 2 and Sonic 3 have played a major role. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted animated movies have accounted for 26 per cent of this year’s box office.
“The box office year was saved by the family audience being drawn to the multiplex,” said Dergarabedian.
