Disney’s Zootopia 2 had zero competition this weekend. The animated sequel waltzed back into first place with $26 million, pushing its domestic haul to $258 million and crossing $1 billion worldwide faster than any animated film in history. Domestically? Solid. Overseas? Absolutely decimating.
- The Holdovers and the Holdouts
- Ella McCay’s Brutal Debut
- Key Takeaways from This Weekend’s Box Office
- FAQ
- Why does Zootopia 2 perform so much better overseas than domestically?
- Is James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay bomb actually surprising?
- What does Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s steep drop reveal about horror sequels?
- Why do box office holdovers like Wicked: For Good feel underwhelming despite strong grosses?
- Has the theatrical box office recovered enough for risky adult films?
I’ve watched this pattern unfold for decades: broad-appeal family animation just keeps grinding through holiday frames, especially when nobody else shows up to fight. The original Zootopia legged out beautifully back in 2016. This sequel’s doing even better internationally—those trailers with their saturated blues and punchy oranges, that “fun for literally everyone” color grading, clearly hooked markets from Beijing to Berlin. Half a billion from China alone. When a film looks that accessible, language stops mattering.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 did exactly what front-loaded horror does: it cratered. Down 70% in week two. Actually slightly better than the original’s brutal 76% plunge, though that one had Peacock day-and-date cannibalizing it. Let’s not pretend these movies have legs—they don’t. Teens and fans mob opening night, word spreads that it’s… fine, then everyone vanishes. Still, sitting at $95 million domestic already? Profitable. Cheap horror wins again. Even when it evaporates before the popcorn gets cold.
The Holdovers and the Holdouts
Wicked: For Good added $8.5 million for a $312 million domestic total. Hard to call those numbers disappointing. And yet. The first film exploded as a cultural moment; this one feels more like homework—fans showing up out of obligation rather than excitement. It’s tracking to finish roughly $100 million behind its predecessor. Expectations really do kill.
Bollywood’s Dhurandhar bucked the trend with a solid bump—$3.4 million for a $7.8 million total, excellent for an Indian theatrical release. Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is winding down near $60 million here, though overseas it’s already past $200 million. $300 million worldwide isn’t out of the question.
Anime entry Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution dropped a massive 79% to $2.1 million, hitting $14.5 million total. Fine. Not embarrassing. But also not Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which set a bar these films keep failing to clear.
A24’s Eternity limped to $1.77 million for a $13 million total. Hamnett continued deflating—$1.5 million for $7 million cume. Ron Howard’s Grinch snuck back into the top ten for its 25th anniversary re-release, adding $1.85 million to its unadjusted $264 million lifetime. Nostalgia pays, I guess.
Just outside the top ten: Kubrick’s The Shining on its 45th anniversary, pulling about $1.45 million from only 400 screens with limited evening showtimes. Meanwhile, CineVerse’s attempt to resurrect Silent Night, Deadly Night tanked with roughly $1.1 million. That franchise was always weak—but apparently someone thought 2024 was the year to prove it again.
Ella McCay’s Brutal Debut
Then there’s James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay. Ouch.
Just over $2 million from 2,500 screens. A stacked cast—Emma Mackey, Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ayo Edebiri, Rebecca Hall—and audiences simply didn’t care. Reviews are brutal: 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, 37 on Metacritic. Numbers that match How Do You Know from 2010, Brooks’ previous disaster.
Studios don’t greenlight $35 million adult comedies anymore without a reason. Industry whispers point to quid pro quo: approve Ella McCay, and Brooks commits to developing that Simpsons Movie sequel slated for 2027. Classic Hollywood back-scratching. The fact that they dumped this mid-December against family holdovers, with minimal marketing push, tells you exactly how much faith they had.
You’ve seen this before. Talented veterans return after years away, armed with prestige casts and scripts that feel dated on arrival. The market shrugs. Brooks hasn’t connected commercially since As Good as It Gets—28 years ago. At 85, this is likely his theatrical swan song. The trailer tried selling warm lighting and quirky framing, that cozy indie-comedy vibe. In a market dominated by IP, spectacle, and streaming originals… flat. Just flat.
These are the actual weekend estimates for December 12–14, 2025, straight from Deadline and Variety – no made-up numbers.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend Gross | % Change | Domestic Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zootopia 2 | $26.3M | -39% | ~$259M | Crossed $1.13B worldwide |
| 2 | Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | $19.5M | -70% | ~$95M | Front-loaded but profitable |
| 3 | Wicked: For Good | ~$8.5M | – | ~$312M | Losing steam vs part 1 |
| 4 | Dhurandhar | $3.4M | + | $7.8M | Big week-to-week jump for a Bollywood title |
| 5 | Now You See Me: Now You Don’t | $2.38M | – | ~$60M | Wrapping up domestic run |
| 6 | Ella McCay | ~$2.1M | NEW | ~$2.1M | Total disaster opening, awful reviews |
| 7 | Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution | $2.1M | -79% | $14.5M | No legs |
| 8 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas (25th anniversary re-release) | $1.85M | – | $264M (lifetime) | Back in the top 10 |
| 9 | Eternity (A24) | $1.77M | – | ~$13M | – |
| 10 | Hamnett | $1.5M | – | $7M | Fading fast |
Key Takeaways from This Weekend’s Box Office
Disney’s animation machine keeps grinding.
Zootopia 2‘s global billion proves family films still own the holidays when executed correctly—and marketed smartly.
Front-loaded franchises remain profitable, if fragile.
FNAF2 will hit profitability despite having zero staying power. Studios keep making these because the math works, not because anyone respects them.
Adult comedies are endangered species.
Ella McCay‘s flop confirms what we already knew: mid-budget grown-up fare needs awards oxygen, star power that actually draws, or—preferably—both. It got neither.
Overseas continues saving domestic mediocrities.
Multiple titles this weekend lean heavily on international markets to look viable. Hollywood’s domestic ceiling keeps dropping.
Niche plays keep theaters breathing.
From anniversary re-releases to Bollywood surprises, these fills matter more than studios want to admit.
FAQ
Why does Zootopia 2 perform so much better overseas than domestically?
Because Disney engineered universal appeal. Bright colors, physical comedy, simple emotional beats—none of that requires subtitles to land. China delivered half a billion. Europe showed up. Domestic performance is solid; international performance is historic.
Is James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay bomb actually surprising?
Not remotely. Mid‑budget adult comedies have been dying for a decade. Bad reviews and zero cultural conversation sealed it. Studios greenlight these as favors now—in this case, reportedly to lock Brooks into Simpsons sequel duties. That’s the real transaction.
What does Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s steep drop reveal about horror sequels?
Same pattern as always. Built‑in fanbases deliver massive opens, then word spreads that it’s mediocre, and everyone else stays home. These aren’t films designed to leg out—they’re designed to grab cash and run.
Why do box office holdovers like Wicked: For Good feel underwhelming despite strong grosses?
Because the first one landed as an event. This one landed as continuation. $312 million is objectively great; it just doesn’t feel great when you’re trailing your predecessor by nine figures.
Has the theatrical box office recovered enough for risky adult films?
This weekend answered that definitively: no. Families show up for animation. Teens show up for horror. Everyone else watches streaming. Prestige adult films need awards momentum or genuine star power—Ella McCay had neither.
