Walt Disney Animation's FROZEN 2 has arrived like a force of nature during its box office debut, amassing an estimated $130 million in domestic ticket sales and $228.2 million internationally for a worldwide launch of $358.2 million.
Wow! Perhaps instead of building another snowman, Anna and Elsa will want to give some serious thought to constructing a Scrooge McDuck-style money bin for all the fat cash their latest film is raking in.
Back in 2013, the original FROZEN earned $1.28 billion globally to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. As a matter of opinion, some would say that the success of FROZEN had signaled a sea change at Disney, forcing the company to rethink their antiquated princess formula. As an empowering slice of cinema, FROZEN bucked Disney traditions by pushing the power of sisterhood to the forefront, as opposed to telling yet another tired tale of love predestined. Needless to say, the film went on to have one hell of an awards season, after securing the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Idina Menzel's "Let It Go".
"Granted, it's not easy following up on the first film," says Disney distribution chief Cathleen Taff. "Six years is a pretty big gap, but the length of time doesn't matter when people feel invested in the characters."
Truth be told, I don't think anyone is surprised by the monumental success of FROZEN 2. That being said, let's take a look at what records the film has broken so far.
Biggest Global Opening of All Time for an Animated Film
Since its debut in theaters this past weekend, FROZEN 2 has already iced Pixar and Disney's TOY STORY 4 during its opening weekend. For those of you playing at home, TOY STORY 4 earned an impressive $240.9 million during its global launch.
Top International Opening of All Time for an Animated Film
The previous holder of this record was Dreamworks' 2009 animated feature ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS ($152 million).
In terms of individual markets, Frozen 2 landed the top opening ever for an animated title in a slew of markets, including in the U.K. ($17.8 million) and France ($13.4 million).
Elsewhere, it was the highest opening ever for a Disney Animation Studios or Pixar release in China ($53 million), Japan ($18.2 million), Germany ($14.9 million) and Spain ($5.8 million). And it was the top opening for a Disney Animation title in numerous Latin American markets, including Mexico ($9.3 million).
Biggest Domestic November Opening for an Animated Film
This is another major achievement for FROZEN 2, especially when you consider that the previous record holder was Disney's FROZEN, which had launched during a five-day Thanksgiving holiday window.
Biggest Imax Opening for an Animated Film
A lot of people wanted to see FROZEN 2 in Imax. This much is obvious based on the film's $18 million global take in Imax tickets sold.
Third-Biggest Domestic Animated Opening of All Time
FROZEN 2 ranks behind Pixar/Disney's Incredibles 2 ($182.7 million) and Finding Dory ($135.1 million), both of which are presented by Pixar and Disney.
Third-Biggest Industry Opening of All Time in South Korea for Any Film
Princess Anna and Queen Elsa's latest snow-covered excursion had earned $31.5 million in South Korea. That's more than the territory's previous record holder, AVENGERS: ENDGAME, which had set an all-time record when debuting to $46.9 million, besting the $46 million launch of South Korea's ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE LAST 49 DAYS.
Top Three-Day Domestic Opening for Walt Disney Animation Studios
Finally, FROZEN 2 beat Disney's ZOOTOPIA, which began its box office run with $75.1 million over the March 4-6 weekend in 2016.
(All estimates and breakdowns courtesy of THR)
Sing it with me now, folks! "Money money, money, money … Money!"
Just how far do you think Disney's FROZEN 2 will go at the box office? Will it dethrone Disney's THE LION KING, which had earned $1.65 billion at the worldwide box office? My prediction is that FROZEN 2 will continue to climb the charts until it reaches the top of the mountain. After all, the FROZEN franchise has been printing money for years, and now that there's a new feature-length advenutre for all to enjoy, it stands to reason that a whole new generation of fans are bound to come in from out of the cold.