LOS ANGELES - Zootopia 2, Disney’s animated adventure about a city of animals, racked up an estimated US$556 million (S$720 million) in global movie ticket sales over the US Thanksgiving weekend, according to studio estimates on Nov 30.

The figure captures box office receipts from Nov 26 through Nov 30 and represents the fourth-highest global opening of all time, Disney said.

Also in theaters, Universal Pictures’ movie musical Wicked: For Good claimed US$92.2 million worldwide, bringing its total to US$393.3 million in its first 10 days.

The fervour for the two films provided welcome news for movie theater owners who hope audiences will pack theaters throughout the holiday season. Annual movie ticket sales have yet to recover to the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. REUTERS