*Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.*

Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ continued its impressive performance this weekend, surpassing $600 million at the global box office. The blockbuster sequel has achieved an even split, with $300 million coming from domestic markets and $300 million from international audiences.

This weekend, ‘Moana 2’ garnered $103.7 million across 52 international markets, representing a 41% drop from its opening. Japan debuted with $6.5 million (including previews), marking the country’s largest non-local opening of 2024, the biggest December launch ever for an animated film, and the third-largest opening for Walt Disney Animation Studios, trailing only ‘Frozen’ and ‘Frozen 2.’

Some key highlights include ‘Moana 2’ securing the title of the fifth-highest-grossing movie globally in 2024, already surpassing the original ‘Moana’ in total earnings. It also ranks as the eighth-biggest studio release overseas for the year, even before the holiday season kicks in.

Meanwhile, Universal’s ‘Wicked’ soared past $400 million worldwide, making it the top-performing non-sequel of the year. Its global total now stands at $455.6 million, with $135 million coming from international markets. This weekend, the film expanded to 18 more territories, adding $26.9 million to its overseas earnings. International performance dropped by 38% in holdover markets, as the film continues its strong run.

Back to ‘Moana 2,’ the film maintained its No. 1 position among non-local titles in most markets, excluding the Netherlands. Notable strongholds include Germany (-21%), Spain (-21%), Brazil (-32%), France (-34%), Italy (-42%), Australia (-43%), and the UK (-44%). Internationally, the sequel has already achieved 90% of the original ‘Moana's’ final overseas total of $333 million. In Chile, Egypt, and Turkey, it is now the highest-grossing Disney Animation release ever.

The top-performing international markets to date for ‘Moana 2’ include France ($32.5 million), the UK ($27.2 million), Germany ($19.7 million), Mexico ($19.1 million), and Brazil ($16 million). Globally, IMAX earnings have reached $14 million.

As for ‘Wicked,’ new openings this weekend included France ($2 million, No. 2), the Netherlands ($1.9 million, No. 1), and Poland ($900,000, including previews).

The UK remains the strongest market for ‘Wicked,’ with a running total of $47.4 million. Other top markets include Australia ($17.2 million), South Korea ($10.6 million), Mexico ($8.1 million), and Spain ($4.5 million). The global IMAX total stands at $18 million.

Elsewhere, Paramount’s ‘Gladiator II’ earned another $17 million across 65 markets, bringing its international total to $235.7 million and a global tally of $368.4 million.

Lastly, Warner Bros. initiated the limited rollout of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ in select markets, including Spain, Mexico, and Brazil. Spain led with $347,000, outperforming comparable animated titles like ‘Transformers One’ (+4%) and ‘The Boy and the Heron’ (+8%). The early total from 3,410 screens in 31 territories reached $2 million, with a broader release next weekend.

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