Frozen 2 dominated the domestic box office, where family audiences led the animated adventure to a dazzling $127 million debut in the U.S.
The sequel, playing in 4,440 theaters, ignited above expectations ahead of Thanksgiving, which should parlay into an especially lucrative holiday frame.
“Frozen 2” set a November record for an animated movie and secured the third-best start for an animated film behind “Incredibles 2” ($182 million) and “Finding Dory” ($135 million). It also stands as the biggest opening weekend ever for Walt Disney Animation (not including Pixar) and ranks as the first animated movie to hit triple digits in its inaugural outing outside of summer.
Overseas, the animated adventure generated $223 million for a massive worldwide start of $350 million, the largest day-and-date global animated debut in history.
Already, five Disney movies this year have crossed $1 billion at the box office and if momentum sustains, “Frozen 2” could make it six.