Frozen 2 Debuts to $8.5 Million on Thursday Night

With pre-sale tickets reportedly through the roof, and the love for the first Frozen still present with fans six years after its debut, Frozen 2 has long been expected to be a massive box office success. The original film broke Toy Story 3's record for biggest animated movie of all time, and there's a good chance that the new sequel could compete for the same crown. It certainly got off to a great start on Thursday night, earning the biggest preview night haul since Joker last month.

According to Variety, Frozen 2 earned a whopping $8.5 million on Thursday night, meaning it's well on its way to dominating the box office through Thanksgiving. The first Frozen earned $93 million throughout its opening 5-day weekend on Thanksgiving in 2013, and that was before there was any major hype surrounding the property. Following the original's success, Frozen 2 should earn near $100 million this weekend.

Despite hits like Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, and Joker, the North American box office has been slightly down from last year, earning $9.7 million as of last week. However, it seems like the holiday season should help it catch up, thanks to major titles like Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

"Hollywood is looking forward to a strong Thanksgiving week powered by the family-friendly Frozen 2,"said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "And A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood should put some holiday spirit into what has been thus far a very sleepy month of November and get the season off to a desperately needed fairytale start."

Along with Frozen 2 and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the Chadwick Boseman-starring police thriller 21 Bridges is also hitting theaters this weekend. Unlike its competitors, however, 21 Bridges isn't looking to be a substantial success. The film is already suffering from much lower reviews than the other two, and it's only expected to make about $13 million throughout the weekend. That's a tough pill to swallow considering its $33 million budget.

Are you looking forward to seeing Frozen 2 this weekend? Do you think it will break Frozen's box office records? Let us know in the comments!