Holdover films led the way over this slow mid-December weekend halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas. ZOOTOPIA 2 earned $26.3M to move back into first place after falling to second last weekend. In fact, all of the top five films this weekend had already opened in previous weeks, the first time that this has happened all year. All films together generated a total domestic box office of $75.1M, which is 20% lower than last year on this same weekend when $94.2M were tallied, led by the third weekend of MOANA 2.
This weekend should be seen as the “quiet before the storm,” since the last two weeks of 2025 will be barn-burners. On Friday 12/19, the long-awaited AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH from Disney and 20th Century will finally arrive, together with Lionsgate’s THE HOUSEMAID, Paramount’s THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS and DAVID from Angel Studios. On Christmas Day 12/25, Sony’s ANACONDA, A24’s MARTY SUPREME and Focus Features’ SONG SUNG BLUE will add to the choices available for end-of-year moviegoing. This final barrage is expected to produce an encouraging Christmas box office and carry over into a solid start to 2026. With all this on top, we expect this weekend to be the lowest-grossing 3-day frame for the foreseeable future.
Here is a rundown of the weekend’s top five films.
FIRST PLACE
Disney’s ZOOTOPIA 2’s weekend total of $26.3M was a drop of 39% from last weekend. In its first 19 days, ZOOTOPIA 2’s domestic total stands at $259M but its global box office is a staggering $1.136B. Its worldwide box office places the film as the highest-grossing U.S.-produced movie of the year, having passed another Disney title LILO &STITCH, which finished with just over $1 billion worldwide. ZOOTOPIA 2’s international grosses are making the film special, accounting for 77% of its global box office. In the domestic market, the animated sequel is only the 9th highest-grossing movie of the year, which is not bad but also not particularly special.
The story of ZOOTOPIA 2 has been described as a “Universal Allegory” rather than a culturally American tale. All its animated characters are animals, which any audience can relate to without evoking national or racial stereotypes. Sony’s 2023 animated SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE was also a very successful movie, with a worldwide gross of $690.8M. However, only 45% of that amount or $309.2M came from foreign markets, in part because Spider-Man is seen as an American hero, based in New York City. While ZOOTOPIA 2 will wind up earning less than Spidey’s $381.6M domestically, it will be far ahead in global sales.
Here are the statistics for ZOOTOPIA 2 and the original ZOOTOPIA after 19 days.
ZOOTOPIA 2 vs. ZOOTOPIA after 19 Days
SECOND PLACE
Universal’s FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2 dropped into second place with $19.5M in new sales, a disappointing drop of 70% from its opening last weekend. This brings its 10-day totals to $95.5M domestically and $173.2M worldwide. The crash was not unexpected, as the box office for original FREDDY’S fell by 76% in its second weekend. In fact, FREDDY’S 2 did better in its opening than most had expected, so its ticket sales over the past three days is more in line with what should have been expected in its second weekend. Its 16% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes is also not helping. On the other hand, FREDDY’S 2 will be the only major horror title in theatres over the Christmas period, and this will help it stay on screens throughout the rest of the year.
Most Blumhouse-produced movies are made on a budget of $20M or less, which is the amount spent to make the original FREDDY’S. The budget for FREDDY’S 2 ballooned to $51M, the highest of any Blumhouse movie so far. However, the FREDDY’S 2 will still make a profit by the end of its run, and we expect that a FREDDY’S is already being planned. This is how the two FREDDY’S movies compare after 10 days.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2 vs. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S after 10 Days
THIRD PLACE
After dropping by 73% last weekend, Universal’s WICKED: FOR GOOD stabilized this weekend by earning $8.6M, a much more modest drop of 51%. This brings its 24-day totals to $312.1M domestically and $497.1M worldwide and we project its final totals will come in at $350M domestically and $540M globally.
Reflecting on the total impact of the WICKED series, the two films combined will gross approximately $1.3B worldwide, after $300M was spent to make both films. That translates to a 4.3 to 1 ratio of production cost to worldwide box office, making these movies a very profitable endeavor. Rehearsals began in August 2022, tying up the director John Chu and key cast members Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for most of that time. Looking ahead, Jon Chu has not yet announced his next project, but is considering several options including a return to the world of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, his successful movie from 2018. Ariana Grande will costar in a MEET THE PARENTS sequel entitled FOCKER IN-LAW, which is expected to be released late next year. Cynthia Erivo will star in a stage adaptation of Dracula in London’s West End, scheduled to open in early 2026. In this one-woman show, Erivo will play 23 different roles, as if WICKED wasn’t demanding enough. Here is our comparison of the numbers for WICKED and WICKED: FOR GOOD after 24 days.
WICKED: FOR GOOD vs. WICKED after 24 Days
FOURTH PLACE
The Hindi action film DHURANDAR finished in fourth place this weekend with $3.5M. This movie is playing in its second weekend in North American theatres, having built up a 10-day total of $7.9M domestically. It’s quite an accomplishment to have earned a top five place, considering the fact that it played in only 377 theatres. The per complex average of $9,152 is the highest by far of any movie in the top ten for the weekend. Released domestically by Moviegoers, the Bollywood film took a very targeted approach to its distribution, playing it in theatres where there are large populations of Indian immigrants. Just as with anime, a well-made Indian movie has an enthusiastic fan base which turns out to see the movie on the big screen when they have the chance to do so.
DHURANDAR is directed by Aditya Dhar, also the director of URI: SURGICAL STRIKE (2019) that generated $4.2M in North America and $39.3M globally. Ranveer Singh plays the lead role, known as one of the top male movie stars in Hindi cinema today. He has established a reputation for intense performances and making amazing physical transformations to play his action roles. In DHURANDAR Singh plays an intelligence officer, anchoring the film’s spy-thriller narrative. The role is serious, grounded, and physically demanding, a tonal shift from some of his more flamboyant characters. The movie is a high-stakes spy thriller, centered on a covert operative who is drawn into a dangerous geopolitical conspiracy threatening national security. As shadowy power brokers, rival agencies, and political manipulators collide, the mission explores tension of being a patriot at the expense of a large, personal cost. Operating across international locations, the protagonist must uncover hidden agendas, survive betrayals from within, and make morally fraught decisions under extreme pressure. The story emphasizes realism, intelligence tradecraft, and psychological tension rather than spectacle.
Critics are lukewarm in their reception, offering a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the loyal fans of the genre are thrilled, giving it a 95% user score. The film was made for $20M and is going to have to continue to add to its gross to get to the $50M required for profitability. For a comparison picture we look to director Aditya Dhar first film released in North America in 2019, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE. Here is how the two films compare after their first 10 days.
DHURANDAR VS URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
FIFTH PLACE
Lionsgate’s magic mystery NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T won’t go away, finishing in fifth place with $2.4M in its fifth weekend, a decline of 32%. This brings its 31-day totals to $59.3M in North American theatres. While it will not come close to earning the $275M it needs in worldwide ticket sales to be profitable, it has probably done well enough to merit a NOW YOU SEE ME 4. Here is a comparison of the three features in the NOW YOU SEE ME series.
NOW YOU SEE ME Franchise Movies after 31 Days
Where Are We as of 12/11/2025
After 49 weeks, the 2025 domestic box office stands even at 100% compared to the same point in 2024 and 76% compared to 2019.
