This weekend saw two different tales of box office fortunes as Disney’s “Moana 2” dominated while Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff “Kraven the Hunter” underwhelmed to become one of the worst openings for a Marvel-related property.
Disney’s “Moana 2” Soars to New Heights
Disney’s “Moana 2” continued its unstoppable journey at the box office, raking in $26.6 million in its third weekend domestically. The sequel also performed exceptionally well internationally, with $57.2 million in additional revenue, pushing its global tally to $717 million. This milestone cements “Moana 2” as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, overtaking the highly anticipated “Dune: Part Two.”
Its magical tale and breathtaking animation have continued to attract families and audiences of all ages. It is this international appeal that has driven its massive success and solidified Disney’s stronghold in the animated film arena.
“Kraven the Hunter” Misses the Mark
At the other end of the spectrum, Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” limped out of the gate with a soft $11 million domestic start. Despite being a part of the Spider-Man universe, the R-rated action flick struggled to find an audience.
The movie-which set Aaron Taylor-Johnson-had its share of production setbacks and the Hollywood strikes-to finally come into theaters when the reviews weren’t very encouraging, earning only 15 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with a middle C grade given by the CinemaScore audience.
Made for $110 million, the underwhelming domestic bow-when combined with an estimated $15 million international haul-means the movie faces an uphill climb to profitability. The result extends the downward trend for Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent spin-offs without the webslinger, a club that also includes the poor-performing “” and””.
Other Contenders at the Box Office
Meanwhile, Universal’s “”Wicked”” was holding well in second place with $22.5 million in its fourth weekend. The adaptation of the popular Broadway musical has earned over $500 million worldwide, with $359 million coming from domestic audiences.
Elsewhere, “”Gladiator II”” took in $7.8 million in its fourth week, while Warner Bros.’ animated “”The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”” bowed to a modest $4.6 million.
Smaller releases also made their marks, including Paramount’s “September 5” and Amazon MGM’s “Nickel Boys,” angling for awards season glory.
As the holiday season approaches, upcoming blockbusters like “Mufasa” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” are positioned to keep the box office momentum strong. With only a 4.8% gap from last year’s performance, 2024 is shaping up to be a remarkable recovery year for theaters worldwide.
