While the pandemic’s knocked Hollywood for a loop, a vaccine-driven recovery now seems likely and is a message of hope as Thanksgiving approaches.
Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s THE CROODS 2 should play well to families who want to stick with the longtime Thanksgiving tradition of football + turkey & trimmings + post-pumpkin pie moviegoing. People living where movie theatres are still allowed to be open (with rigorous regulations) can head for the multiplexes and somehow manage to add a tub of buttered popcorn to the weight they now have to work off. Of course, with gyms shut these days, that’s the best possible excuse for not working out!
It helps that moviegoers already know about CROODS 2 (pictured) from the success of the original, which opened 3/22/13 to $43.6M ($187.2M dom/$400M intl). We won’t be generating grosses that big again for a while, but with an uncluttered marketplace, good brand recognition, Universal’s customary marketing strength at work, and a fun escapist storyline, CROODS 2 should open well by today’s standards. It’s tracking great across the board, especially with -25M & -25F, and looks very strong with teens.