'The Croods 2' hauls in $14.2M for Thanksgiving weekend, one of the best openings of the pandemic

NEW YORK – Testing a novel release strategy, the animated sequel "The Croods: A New Age" had one of the best opening weekends of the pandemic, grossing $14.2 million for the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Whereas new releases have traditionally lasted around 90 days in theaters, Universal Pictures has mapped out a shorted theatrical window in deals with major chains AMC and Cinemark that gives the studio the option to move new releases to premium video-on-demand after just 17 days. "The Croods: A New Age" is expected to shift to home viewing before Christmas for a $20 rental. For an industry reeling from the pandemic, it's part of wider changes seeping through Hollywood.

"The Croods: A New Age" grossed $9.7 million Friday through Sunday, which rivals even the weekend start for "Tenet" in October. Warner Bros. didn't break down the three-day weekend figures for "Tenet," which began preview screenings in the U.S. on a Monday, but said it grossed $20.2 million in its first week in U.S. theaters, plus its first two weeks in Canadian theaters. 

While the opening for "The Croods: A New Age" was something Hollywood hadn't seen in months – a movie that outperformed expectations – it was still only a sliver of what the industry usually sees in the typically busy holiday movie season. Last year, "Frozen II" led all films over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend with $123.7 million, while "Knives Out" scored $41.7 million.

Review: Why 'The Croods: A New Age' kinda rocks, thanks to new voices and a pretty good stick joke

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Since "Tenet" opened, most larger releases have been postponed or detoured to digital, sometimes while still playing in theaters overseas. Disney steered "Mulan" to a premium purchase on Disney+, but opened in China and elsewhere. Next month, Warner Bros. will release "Wonder Woman 1984" simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters. Disney has uprooted the Pixar animation "Soul" to its streaming platform.

That's left smaller films to lead what's left of the box office – about 40% of the normal number of theaters. Most have tapped out around $4 million on opening weekend. The Kevin Costner and Diane Lane film "Let Him Go" debuted with $4.1 million in ticket sales from 2,454 locations earlier this month. The body-swap horror movie "Freaky," with Vince Vaughn, has been No. 1 the last two weekends after debuting with $3.7 million.

One of the biggest differences is that the studio spent more heavily to market the $65 million "Croods" sequel. It played in 2,211 locations, or about half the usual amount for such a release.

Overseas, the film grossed $20.8 with almost all of that ($19.2 million) coming from China.