Zootopia 2 Just Ate Thanksgiving Alive — $559M Global Debut While Wicked Forgets How to Defy Gravity in Week 2

North America Weekend Box Office Recap (November 28–30, 2025)

The Thanksgiving holiday frame (Wednesday-Sunday 5-day) delivered an estimated $297–299M across the top films, marking the third-highest Thanksgiving haul ever but down ~30% from 2024’s record driven by Moana 2. Family audiences turned out in force, propelling Disney’s Zootopia 2 to a massive opening while Wicked: For Good held strong in week 2 despite a steep drop.

Updated actuals (3-day Fri-Sun / 5-day Wed-Sun):

1. Zootopia 2 (Disney) — $98.8M 3-day / $158M 5-day (opening) Second-biggest Thanksgiving 5-day ever (behind Moana 2’s $225M in 2024). It surpassed the original Zootopia’s domestic total in just 5 days and posted the third-highest animated 3-day opening.
2. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — $62.8M 3-day (-57%) / $93M 5-day Running cume: $270.4M. Strong hold for a musical sequel, pacing ahead of the first Wicked.
3. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — ~$7–8M 3-day / $10M 5-day (week 3) Cume: ~$49.6M.
4. Predator: Badlands (Disney) — ~$4.8M 3-day / $6.6M 5-day (week 4) Cume: $85M (now the highest-grossing Predator film domestically).
5. The Running Man (Paramount) — ~$3.7M 3-day / $5.5M 5-day (week 3) Cume: $34.2M.

Other notable openers/holdovers: Eternity ($5.2M 5-day), Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ($4.25M 5-day in limited release), Hamnet ($1.35M 5-day in limited, strong $11.3K PTA).

International Weekend Box Office Recap (November 28–30, 2025)

Zootopia 2 absolutely dominated globally with a record-shattering international opening, driven by an unprecedented China launch. International totals (excluding North America, 3-day weekend):

1. Zootopia 2 (Disney) — $400.4M (opening, 52 territories) Biggest international animated opening ever; China alone delivered $271.6M (biggest non-local animated debut there). #1 in nearly every market.
2. Wicked: For Good (Universal) — $29.4M (79 territories) Cume: $122.8M int’l / ~$393M global.
3. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t — $16.1M Cume: $137.3M int’l.
4. Tere Ishk Mein (Indian title) — $7.4M (opening).
5. Predator: Badlands (Disney) — $2.4M Cume: $88.7M int’l / $173M global.

Global opening for Zootopia 2: $559.5M (largest animated global debut ever outside the Despicable Me/Minions franchise).

Reviews & Audience Scores Summary

• Zootopia 2 → Certified Fresh at 91–95% critics / 95%+ audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics call it “uproariously funny, visually dazzling, pure delight” with rich themes and clever gags — many say it matches or exceeds the original. Highest Disney Animation RT critic score in 4 years. Audience/post-Trak exits: 95% positive, A+ CinemaScore, families raving.
• Wicked: For Good → 71–74% critics / 97% audience on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are more mixed (“epic but underwhelming in places,” “misses the mark compared to Part 1”), citing pacing and length issues, but praise the spectacle, performances (Erivo & Grande), and songs. Audience score is near-perfect — fans love the emotional payoff and visuals; A CinemaScore.

Social Media Reactions (X/Twitter Buzz)

Zootopia 2 is the internet’s darling right now — trending worldwide with viral clips of the sloth scene sequel, the “Try Everything” reprise, and new characters. Families are calling it “instant classic,” “better than the first,” “hilarious for adults too.” Common praise: stunning animation, smart social commentary, emotional depth. Minor complaints about crowded plot, but overall ecstatic (“10/10, cried and laughed”). McDonald’s Happy Meal tie-in is everywhere in posts.

Wicked: For Good has passionate fans defending it fiercely (“the ending destroyed me in the best way,” “Defying Gravity reprise = chills”). Grande & Erivo stans are flooding timelines with praise, but some musical theater purists say it “rushes Act 2” or “feels less magical than Part 1.” Still, overwhelmingly positive from general audiences (“worth the wait,” “visual masterpiece”). #ForGood and #WickedMovie still trending strong two weeks in.

Overall, a massive family-driven weekend with Zootopia 2 becoming 2025’s biggest global phenomenon so far.

And there you have it — another weekend, another bloodbath at the multiplex where the mice and bunnies always win. If you enjoyed this recap (or just like your box-office tea served scalding hot), hit that follow button so these drop in your feed every Monday morning. And if you’re an indie filmmaker trying not to starve while the big studios print money like this, grab my book The Indie Film Survival Guide at indiefilmsurvivalguide.com — because someone has to teach you how to make actual profit when Disney’s busy buying new planets with bunny money.

See you next weekend… unless Zootopia 3 surprise-drops on Wednesday and burns the calendar.