Disney is known for being the greatest animated filmmaker of all time due to the creation of some of the most iconic films, such as “The Lion King,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and ” “Dumbo.” “, to name a few. Each of these films continues to be watched and loved by several generations.
However, Disney has recently had some strong competitors threatening its title in the film industry.
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Companies like Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Sony have surpassed Disney in producing star-studded films in the live-action genre, making them the highest-grossing films domestically as of 2020.
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Because of this pattern, Disney has begun producing live-action versions of their beloved animated films. These days, almost every original Disney princess movie has a non-animated version. Disney also just released “Mufasa: The Lion King,” the live-action version of “The Lion King,” one of the company's most popular films.
These efforts to join the non-animated film scene did not appear to be enough to restore Disney's place as the leading film company. However, its latest animated release may have helped Disney reclaim its crown, proving that this genre is its strongest point.
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Disney returns as the top animation director thanks to “Moana 2”
Since its launch on Wednesday, Disney's (DIS) “Moana 2” has grossed $221 million in ticket sales in North America, breaking the record for the highest-grossing film over Thanksgiving weekend.
Previously, Universal (UVV) “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” held the record for the biggest five-day debut of all time, totaling $204 million in April 2023, and Disney's “Frozen II” held the record for the biggest five-day debut of all time. Thanksgiving days with a total of $125 million in 2019.
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The first version of “Moana”, released on November 23, 2016, did not have as successful a debut as its sequel. Over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend that year, it generated $82.1 million, ranking 13th overall and achieving just a fraction of the incredibly impressive box office sales it achieved this year.
However, it seems that Disney is back to being the world's leading producer of animated films after taking the crown from Universal. While “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” broke the record last year by reaching $377 million in global box office sales, “Moana 2” made Disney proud with $389 million.
The future of the film industry business and box office sales
According box office mojoUniversal's “Wicked” grossed $117.5 million the same holiday weekend, and (TO) “Gladiator II” came in third with $44 million. These top three films, including “Moana 2,” earned $382.5 million during the five-day period.
Last year, thanks to the release of Warner (W.B.D.) Universal's “Barbie” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the annual domestic box office grossed $8.9 billion. As of this year, the total annual domestic box office sales collection is currently $7.6 billion, led by the release of Disney's “Inside Out 2.”
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Over the past four years, box office sales have seen continued growth in ticket sales, but with just under a month left in 2024, these leading films would need to generate more than $1.3 billion to surpass last year's numbers.
Although these figures are not adjusted for inflation, last year's box office sales exceeded this year's. Only time will tell the future of the film industry, and it passes quickly.
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