Expect 'biggest Thanksgiving box office in over a decade': Expert
AMC (AMC) stock gains after "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" grossed a combined $170 million in the movie's opening weekend in theaters. Box Office Guru founder and editor Gitesh Pandya joins Catalysts Hosts Seana Smith and Madison Mills to discuss the films' success and what it means for related companies, as well as upcoming releases. "This is what the box office needed this year. The movie industry, over the last few years, has had two major disruptions. You had the pandemic shutting all theaters down, and then as things are getting back to normal, you have the double strikes," Pandya says, adding, "This year, in 2024, we had many months with hardly any big blockbuster films. But now, as we enter the fourth quarter and going into 2025, the outlook is very good. For Thanksgiving, we have two massive films opening this past weekend, which will continue into the rest of the month." While not quite as successful as "Barenheimer," Pandya says, "'Wicked' did fantastic. 'Gladiator II' did really well. The reviews are good, the audience metrics are fantastic, and people are coming out and spending, and that leads into the rest of the holiday season. People are seeing trailers, posters, all of the in-theater product to hopefully come back for the rest of the year to end off 2024 with a bang." With Disney's (DIS) highly anticipated 'Moana 2' coming out this week, Pandya notes that the sequel, which he says is a "guaranteed hit," combined with the second weekends of Gladiator II and Wicked, "We're looking at probably the biggest Thanksgiving box office in over a decade." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.
