Encanto is projected to beat House of Gucci at the box office over Thanksgiving weekend. Disney's latest animated offering opens only in theaters on November 24 and features original music from the mind of Hamilton's Pulitzer Prize-winning creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who recently made his live-action directorial debut with the Netflix musical Tick, Tick...Boom! Miranda previously wrote the songs for 2016's Moana, which banked $645 million at the box office. Encanto follows a family living in the mountains of Colombia in a town where everyone is blessed with magical powers except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who soon becomes the town's only hope to save them from danger.
House of Gucci also opens just in time for the holiday on November 24 and centers on a similar family affair, albeit a less kid-friendly one. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film chronicles the downfall of the luxurious fashion family and the empire they ran after Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) plots the murder of her husband Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver). House of Gucci has gotten mixed reviews overall, though Gaga has been unanimously praised for her near over-the-top performance that could earn her a second Oscar nod. The film's all-star cast also includes Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and an unrecognizable Jared Leto.
Now, based on projections provided by Variety, Encanto is expected to beat House of Gucci at the box office this weekend. Though it likely won't come close to Disney's past Thanksgiving releases, Encanto is projected to earn an impressive $40 million during its first five days. House of Gucci, on the other hand, is expected to bring in $17-$20 million within that same timeframe.
In recent years, Disney has dominated the Thanksgiving box office with its family-friendly animated offerings like 2013's Frozen, 2017's Coco, 2018's Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Frozen II in 2019. Thanks to these recent projections, it appears Disney's dominance will continue, though Encanto isn't expected to come anywhere close to these previous releases in terms of opening weekend ticket sales. Still, this indicates that family films tend to fare better on holidays which is unsurprising considering many are out of school and off work.
While House of Gucci's projections possibly aren't as high as MGM would like, it is expected to fare better than the director's last film, The Last Duel, which bombed at the box office last month. Scott recently blamed this on apathetic millennials. For those looking for an alternative to Encanto and House of Gucci, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is also opening this weekend, which could actually compete for the second spot.
Source: Variety
