Thanksgiving has always been a big weekend for animated features. Even last year, during the first holiday season of the pandemic, DreamWorks’ “The Croods: A New Age” earned $14.3 million from Wednesday through Sunday in about half the number of theaters (2,200) it probably would’ve been in under normal circumstances.
Pre-COVID, Disney often used the holiday to debut big features, like “Frozen II”, “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, “Moana”, “Frozen” and “Tangled”. Other studio titles continued to do well in their second, third or fourth weekends, including “Big Hero 6”, “Wreck-It Ralph”, “Bolt” and “Chicken Little”.
Pixar’s “Coco” and “The Good Dinosaur” performed strongly over their Thanksgivings, as did Illumination’s “The Grinch” in 2018. DreamWorks’ “Trolls”, “Penguins of Madagascar”, “Rise of the Guardians”, “Puss in Boots”, “Megamind”, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” and “Bee Movie” all delivered sufficient numbers during their Thanksgiving periods.
Blue Sky’s “The Peanuts Movie”, Sony’s “Arthur Christmas”, and WB’s two “Happy Feet” films played over Thanksgiving too.
This year, when it comes to animation, Turkey Day Weekend is headlined by Disney’s “Encanto”. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ second 2021 release (following “Raya and the Last Dragon” in March) needs to earn at least $86.2 million during its theatrical run in order to make it onto Disney’s Top 5 Movies of 2021 at the Domestic Box Office list. The Mouse House is already campaigning “Encanto” for Best Animated Feature awards season consideration.
It faces some interesting competition in Universal and Illumination’s “Sing 2”, which is holding nationwide preview screenings on Saturday Nov. 27 at 5pm in about 1,000 theaters. Will families want to see that highly anticipated musical sequel about a month early instead of Disney’s new original animated musical (with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda)?
It’s a showdown like old times — during a time when we’re seeing families absolutely take part in the theatrical experience (Paramount’s “Clifford the Big Red Dog” kicked-off with $22 million over its first six days), but still not like usual. “Encanto” and “Sing 2” could change that… depending on how parents and kids feel during the final month and a half of 2021.