Disney’s ‘Hexed’ is tracking for a strong opening weekend, with Box Office Pro forecasting a $35 million to $45 million three-day debut and a $50 million to $70 million five-day total over the Thanksgiving holiday. This would mark the biggest debut for an original Walt Disney Animation Studios film since ‘Moana’ in 2016.
Original Storyline And Voice Cast
‘Hexed’ follows Billie Doe, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, an awkward teenager who discovers her unusual traits may point to a talent for magic. The film features a voice cast that includes Jodie Foster, Walton Goggins, and Rashida Jones, and is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand.
Box Office Projections And Comparisons
The low end of the forecast tops the 5-day openings of ‘Encanto’ ($40.5 million), ‘Wish’ ($31.6 million), and ‘Strange World’ ($18.8 million). ‘Hexed’ is tracking ahead of Disney’s last three original animated Thanksgiving releases, according to Box Office Pro. While it is not projected to beat the openings of ‘Moana 2’ and ‘Zootopia 2’, which were huge sequels that each opened above $100 million over three days, ‘Hexed’ is expected to lead the holiday weekend box office.
Audience Appetite For New IP
The strong tracking for ‘Hexed’ suggests that audiences might be ready for something new, rather than a sequel. This is a welcome sign for original animation, which has had a rough ride at the box office in recent years. If ‘Hexed’ does well on opening weekend and word of mouth is good, it could finish as one of Disney’s biggest original hits in a long time. The film opens in theaters on November 25.
Sources
- Disney's 'Hexed' Box Office Tracking Points to the Biggest Original Animated Debut Since 'Moana'
- "Hexed" Looks to be Casting a Spell on the Box Office Already
- Disney’s Hexed could open to $70M over Thanksgiving 5-day weekend
Photo: MandiRodriguez7 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
