BREAKING:Sir Patrick Stewart Dies: ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ Legend Leaves Behind an Unforgettable Legacy

Disney’s ‘Hexed’ Is Tracking for Walt Disney Animation’s Biggest Original Opening Since ‘Moana’

Avatar photoByJosip Kraljik Published on
0 Comments
Disney
Our Editorial Policy

Share:

Walt Disney Animation Studios has had a hard time getting original stories off the ground at Thanksgiving. While sequels have brought in huge holiday crowds, the studio’s recent new ideas have struggled, which makes ‘Hexed’ one of the most closely watched releases of the season.

The track record explains the pressure. ‘Strange World’ opened to just $18.8 million in 2022, ‘Wish’ made $31.6 million over its 5-day frame in 2023, and ‘Encanto’ led the group with $27.2 million over 3 days and $40.5 million over 5 days in 2021.

Early tracking suggests ‘Hexed’ could break that pattern. According to fan accounts citing BoxOffice Pro, the film is tracking for a $75 million opening weekend, which would be Walt Disney Animation’s biggest debut for an original film since ‘Moana’ in 2016.

RELATED:

Disney’s ‘Hexed’ Just Gave Fans Their Best Look Yet at Its Wildly Original Witch World

BoxOffice Pro’s published long-range forecast is a bit more conservative. It projects $35 million to $45 million for the 3-day weekend and $50 million to $70 million across the 5-day Thanksgiving period, and LaughingPlace noted those numbers could rise as release day gets closer.

Even the lower end would be a clear improvement over the studio’s recent originals. For comparison, ‘Moana’ opened to more than $56 million over its 3-day weekend and more than $82 million across the full holiday period.

‘Hexed’ stars Hailee Steinfeld as Billie Doe, an unconventional teenager stuck in a dull town who discovers that she’s a witch. Rashida Jones voices her relentlessly Type-A mother, the last person Billie wants to share her new magical world with.

The film’s first footage, shown at CinemaCon, introduced a talking book and quill pen that give Billie a personality test. Once she signs her name in the book, a portal opens to a hidden realm of magic that turns life upside down for mother and daughter.

The poster leans into that sense of wonder. It shows Billie in a red cloak, reaching toward glowing magic in an enchanted forest, with a bubbling cauldron and a little creature by her side.

Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand direct the film. Trinidad served as head of story on ‘Zootopia’ and ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’, while Hand was head of story on ‘Encanto’ and co-directed ‘Moana 2’.

Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones produce, and the studio’s chief creative officer, Jared Bush, serves as executive producer. When Bush unveiled the title at Destination D23, he described the story as being about the magic of being different and how families work through that together.

‘Hexed’ opens in theaters on Wednesday, November 25, with many international markets following between November 25 and 27. That gives it a valuable 5-day holiday window to build an audience.

The film will face growing competition as the season continues. TheWrap noted that it arrives as a family-friendly option ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’, both of which open in December.

Disney’s recent Thanksgiving sequels have shown how big the holiday can be. WDW News Today pointed out that ‘Moana 2’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ each passed $100 million over their 3-day Thanksgiving weekends.

If the stronger tracking holds, ‘Hexed’ could show that audiences are still ready to embrace new Disney stories as well as familiar ones. That would be a big boost for the studio after a run of disappointing original releases.

With weeks to go before opening day, interest could still grow as Disney’s marketing ramps up. For now, the forecasts suggest Billie’s magical adventure is off to a promising start.

Are you excited to see Disney’s Hexed over Thanksgiving?

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss:

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted