‘Moana’ Rides Big Thanksgiving Wave, While ‘Allied,’ ‘Bad Santa 2’ & ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ All Struggle [Box Office]

It was a weekend of binge-eating, bargain shopping, and also trying to find ways to fill time with the family. And it seems the movie of choice for those headed to the multiplex was an all-ages offering from Disney.

The studio’s dominance over Thanksgiving weekend continued with “Moana” opening to $55.5 million, giving Disney nine out of the 10 all-time best openings over the holiday (the figure is $88.1 million if you include the dollars accrued between Wednesday and Friday). The numbers put the film in “Big Hero 6” territory, with that film winding up at over $220 million domestic, as part of a $657 million global total. The international rollout for “Moana” has started small with only 12 markets so far, but Disney are successful veterans at this game, and it’s clear they have another huge hit on their hands with “Moana.”

READ MORE: How The Directors Of ‘Moana’ Unexpectedly Had The Creator Of ‘Hamilton’ Writing Their Songs

The rest of Hollywood could only look on with envy as their offerings all struggled. The star power of Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard did little to stir much excitement for the middlingly received WWII flick “Allied.” Debuting with a tepid $13 million ($18 million since Wednesday), Pitt hasn’t had an opening this small since he was still a young man on the rise in David Fincher‘s “Se7en.” For director Robert Zemeckis, it’s his second-straight whiff following “The Walk,” and you gotta imagine he’s not going to be getting another $85 million to play with for his next movie.

The year of audiences rejecting sequels they didn’t really want continues, with “Bad Santa 2” underwhelming with $6.1 million ($9 million since Wednesday). That’s below the $12 million launch of the original in 2003, and it seems the cult audience that formed around that movie didn’t much care for more. For Broad Green Pictures, it’s the final nail in a dismal year that has seen them release a string of flops including “Knight Of Cups,” “The Neon Demon,” “The Dressmaker,” and “The Infiltrator.” Here’s hoping they regroup for a better 2017.

Despite plenty of media profiles and public appearances, perhaps Warren Beatty was gone for too long as his return as writer and director, “Rules Don’t Apply,” tanked hard, opening outside the top 10 with a paltry $1.5 million. The lukewarm reviews coupled with Beatty’s mixed message about the movie that it wasn’t about Howard Hughes — while he plays Hughes, and much of the story revolves around the character — likely didn’t help. But stars Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich both shine in the picture, and they’ll be just fine. As for Beatty, let’s hope this isn’t the last word on his career.

READ MORE: Warren Beatty’s ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ Is An Enjoyably Sprawling Look At Hollywood, Hypocrisy & Howard Hughes [Review]

While the rest of the box office was in flux, “Arrival” quietly held steady, showing an astoundingly small 7% drop in its third week, staying in the middle of the pack with $11 million. Keep supporting smart sci-fi, everybody, and let’s hope the studios back even more. On box office milestones, “Doctor Strange” has reached $616 million worldwide in four weeks. Having outgrossed  the original “Iron Man” ($585.2 million), ‘Strange’ has become the highest grossing first solo movie effort in the MCU. At this pace, the movie is looking to outgross “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ($714 million) though reaching the haul of “Guardians Of The Galaxy” ($773 million) feels like a big question mark at this point.

At the arthouse, The Weinstein Company got some very good news as “Lion” held the highest per-screen-average with $32,092 on four screens for a total of $128,368. It’s not spectacular, but it’s more than enough to keep the movie in awards-season play like they want. Elsewhere: Jessica Chastain‘s “Miss Sloane” earned $63,000 on three screens; Lucile Hadzihalilovic‘s “Evolution” totaled $6,927 on a trio of screens; and lastly, “Always Shine” took in $4,500 from a single cinema.

1. “Moana” — $55.5 million
2. “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” — $45.1 million ($156.2 mil.)
3. “Doctor Strange” — $13.3 million ($205 mil.)
4. “Allied” — $13 million
5. “Arrival” — $11.2 million ($62.3 mil.)
6. “Trolls” — $10 million ($135.1 mil.)
7. “Almost Christmas” — $7.6 million ($36.6 mil.)
8. “Bad Santa 2” — $6.1 million
9. “Hacksaw Ridge” — $5.4 million ($52.2 mil.)
10. “The Edge Of Seventeen” — $2.9 million ($10.2 mil.)