Frozen has had quite a box office run and it looks like it’s not quite over yet. This past weekend, Frozen earned an estimated $28.8 million, putting it at the number two spot behind The Hobbit. This puts the film’s domestic total at $248.4 million, pacing it to beat out The Lion King‘s domestic record of $311.5 million.
If you think these numbers are no big deal, let’s put it in context. This is the film’s 5th weekend out in theatres and Frozen has to battle it out through two very competitive slots: Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has come out of both of those weekends victorious, ranking in the top three each week. Also according to Box Office Mojo, Frozen’s performance this week was the third highest-earning 5th weekend of all time, behind only Avatar and Titanic, ($30M), which each earned $42.8 and 30 million, respectively.
This weekend’s box office performance is a bump up from the third place finish Frozen had last weekend, where it earned $19.8 million. That weekend allowed Frozen‘s domestic gross to move it ahead of both Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled, which each ultimately earned 191.6 and 200.8 million, respectively.
Looks like Disney’s marketing claims that this is the “greatest Disney animated event” since The Lion King may not have been that far fetched. For decades, The Lion King‘s records have been the mac daddy of Disney animation
Frozen now ranks 13th and 31st for highest-grossing animated films domestically and internationally, respectively. Frozen has earned $491.9 million internationally. Despicable Me 2, which was released this summer, currently holds the 5th place spot for both domestic and international grosses. It is likely that when Frozen finishes its theatrical run, that it will beat Despicable Me 2 and end up somewhere in the top 5 on both charts.
In other animation box office news, Walking with Dinosaurs hasn’t completely trailed away yet. The dinosaur CGI film fell to 12th place, earning $12.3 million. While its rank dropped from 8th place from its opening weekend, it’s gross increased slightly from $7.3 million. It’s no doubt that these results are a disappointment for the studio, but releasing a film around Christmas is always ultra-competitive and risky business.
Do you think ‘Frozen’ will beat ‘The Lion King”s record? What is your guess for how much the film will make domestically?
via Box Office Mojo and Cartoon Brew
