When the holidays come around, so do the blockbuster hits. Thanksgiving weekend is notorious for being accompanied by giant movies, most of which are designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. After all, what better way to top off a turkey meal than taking a trip to the theater? In this list, we’ll be evaluating every movie that has been played during a Thanksgiving weekend to see which films have grossed more than the rest during their three-day holiday runs. To do this, we’ll be using stats from Box Office Mojo.
Before we dive head-first into the stats though, it’s worth noting that we’ll be considering all movies to play on Thanksgiving weekend, not just the ones that first opened during that weekend. With that said, here are the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend movies of all time.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
While the finale to the popular Hunger Games series opened on Nov. 20, 2015, its viewership was still going strong when Thanksgiving rolled around. During the three-day weekend, it grossed $52 million at the box office.
Mockingjay - Part 2 had Katniss leaving District 13 in order to go on a mission to take down President Snow at The Capitol. It was full of intense action, quickly climbing stakes and serious acting skills. Though not everyone liked the decision to split the last book into two films, this movie was still a satisfying conclusion.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
The live-action 2000s version of The Grinch, starring Jim Carrey, had the egotistical green creature once again trying to steal the holidays away from Whoville. Although the new film received mixed reviews, it managed to take in $52 million during Thanksgiving weekend.
The Grinch got another update in 2018 as a 3D computer-animated film, though this one didn’t do quite as well during Thanksgiving weekend. That being said, it did score more at the box office overall.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
The fourth movie in the Harry Potter series still had plenty of fans seeing it by the time Thanksgiving weekend rolled around. It grossed $54 million during the three-day weekend and was met with favorable reviews for exploring deeper emotions and featuring an even more engaging cast and storyline.
The narrative follows Harry’s fourth year, as he is selected by the Goblet of Fire to compete in a dangerous tournament against the other three major schools of magic.
Ralph Breaks The Internet
Last Thanksgiving saw the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph sweeping up all the crowds. In fact, the animated Disney film took in $56 million over the holiday weekend. As can be concluded from the title, Ralph Breaks The Internet follows Ralph and Vanellope as they adventure from their respective arcade games to the online world.
The film took in mostly positive reviews, with many believing the new installment was almost as heartwarming and funny as the first.
Moana
Disney’s first Polynesian princess enchanted theatergoers with the release of her film in 2016. It took in $56 million at the box office over Thanksgiving weekend as well as multiple positive reviews.
Moana tells of the daughter of a village chief who is selected by the ocean to search out the goddess Te Fiti and return a magic stone to her. In addition to the featuring gorgeous animation, critics were impressed with the layered characters and the entertaining storyline.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Mockingjay Part 1 set up the epic quest to the Capitol that was featured in the final film. It had Katniss taking on the symbolic role of the Mockingjay while anxiously awaiting Peeta’s return to District 13. Mockingjay brought in over $56 million during Thanksgiving weekend, which was already a week after the film had originally opened.
The dystopian movie received generally positive reviews, with many citing the tension, acting, and overall style as its strong points.
Toy Story 2
The second Toy Story film hit theaters during the Thanksgiving season in 1999. During its opening weekend, it took in $57 million: a number that is especially strong being that the animation was a sequel.
The story saw Woody stumbling into the hands of a toy collector, figuring out where he belongs, and eventually journeying back to Andy’s. If you can’t tell by the two additional two films that followed, Toy Story 2 was universally praised, coming out even better than the original.
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
The first Harry Potter movie to be released in theaters grossed $57 million in its opening weekend. It also received favorable reviews, with many feeling it had done the book justice.
The movie follows Harry soon after learning that he is the orphaned son of two wizards. He is then sent to a magic school known as Hogwarts, where he makes a few friends and learns of the mystery behind his origins.
Frozen
The animated hit about a princess who must rescue her sister from an endless winter she has caused grossed $67 million during Thanksgiving weekend. The 2013 film quickly became a hit and ultimately grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office.
Many thought Disney had hit a whole new level of excellence with Frozen, being that the film was well-written, wonderfully animated, and full of incredible hit songs. This quickly prompted Disney to jump on a sequel, which is set to release this coming Thanksgiving season.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Topping off the list as the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend movie ever is the original sequel to The Hunger Games. It brought in $74 million during the three-day holiday weekend.
Catching Fire saw Katniss and the other past tributes being thrown into a new arena as part of the 25-year Quarter Quell ceremony. This made for some high-stakes, emotional scenes, and intense action. Critics also pointed out that this installment was a huge step up from the original, thanks to the fresh, polished vision from the series' new director, Francis Lawrence.