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Box Office: Family-Friendly ENCANTO Wins Thanksgiving Weekend

Photo from IMDb

Box Office: Family-Friendly ENCANTO Wins Thanksgiving Weekend

By Movieguide® Staff

Thanksgiving week showed that the ticket sales are far from pre-pandemic numbers despite a few refreshing box office performances in 2021, such as Marvel’s SHANG-CHI and John Krasinki’s A QUIET PLACE PART II. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter, this year’s holiday week at the theaters posted its lowest combined domestic ticket sales, barring 2020, in 25 years. 

“The box office recovery is very much a work in progress, even if it’s headed in the right direction,” Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian pointed out.

The THR reported

Analysts and studio insiders attribute the subdued Thanksgiving parade to the lack of an all-audience Hollywood tentpole, as well as ongoing concerns over COVID. The next key box office test will be Spider-Man: Far From Home, which Sony unfurls in theaters on Dec. 17.

Although there is a long road ahead for studios and theaters to return to box office norms, Movieguide®’s theory that family-friendly, moral content will lead the way holds true.  

Disney’s family-friendly, animated movie ENCANTO earned $27 million in its opening weekend, leading the way for all movies released over Thanksgiving weekend. Its Wednesday through Sunday numbers reached $40.3 million, the best performance of any animated feature during the pandemic. 

A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads

ENCANTO is a lively animated musical from Disney. Mirabel is a 15-year-old teenager living in an isolated magical village in Columbia where every child who turns five receives a magical gift. Every child, that is, except her. Mirabel tries to keep a stiff upper lip about this situation, but she’s unhappy about it and has begun to grow resentful toward her older, beautiful, gifted sister who’s about to marry. Mirabel has a vision of their magical house breaking apart. She fears the family’s magic is in danger, but none of her family believes her, especially her grandmother. So, Mirabel decides to find out what’s happening and find a way to fix it.

ENCANTO is beautifully produced. The story and characters are funny, lively, exciting, and heartfelt. The animation is vibrant and lovely. ENCANTO sounds like it could be filled with witchcraft, but the movie states that family is the real magic. It contains overt Christian references, themes, images, and symbolism, which form the backdrop to the story and the magical plot. ENCANTO paints a rich, rewarding, heartwarming portrait of an extended family.

In stark contrast to ENCANTO, the horror movie RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY turned in the weakest performance, with only $8.8 million in its first five days. 

Read Also: Summer Box Office: Family-Friendly and Morally Uplifting Movies Continue to Lead Blockbusters

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.