Disney's South Pacific animated tale "Moana" fell short of a "Frozen"-sized debut but nevertheless dominated the Thanksgiving box office with an estimated $81.1 million over the five-day weekend.
The well-reviewed "Moana," about a princess' mythical journey in ancient Polynesia, earned $55.5 million from Friday to Sunday in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. Though it didn't match the 2013 Thanksgiving release of "Frozen" ($93.6 million over five days in 2013), "Moana" ("MWAH-nah") scored the second-highest Turkey Day debut ever.
Boosted by the star power of Dwayne Johnson and the appeal of original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda of "Hamilton," "Moana" landed Disney another big hit in a year full of them. The studio has notched four of the top six films ("Finding Dory," "Captain America: Civil War," "Zootopia," "The Jungle Book") and still has "Star Wars: Rogue One" coming in December.
Falling to second was J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," which earned $65.8 million over the five-day weekend and $45.1 million over the three-day weekend. The Harry Potter spinoff, from Warner Bros., has brought in $156.2 million in two weeks. Overseas, "Fantastic Beasts" debuted in China, where its $41.1 million fueled a weekend haul of $132 million internationally.
Those two blockbusters far outpaced more star-driven films, like Brad Pitt's WWII romance "Allied."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday:
1. "Moana," $55.5 million.
2. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," $45.1 million.
