Animation continues to dominate theatrical business this year, as "Moana 2" climbs the charts toward an inevitable showdown with current box office champ "Inside Out 2."

The big splash continues for Disney’s “Moana 2,” which earned a massive $54.5 million on Black Friday from 4,200 locations, shattering the $34.1 million record that was notched by “Frozen II” in 2019.

The combination of the animated sequel, the history-making musical 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' is delivering a historic post-pandemic victory for the box office.

"Moana 2"—starring the voices of Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson—brings in big numbers in its box office debut, followed by strong returns for "Wicked" and "Gladiator 2."

With over-performance in all corners, Disney's Moana 2 is now eyeing a global opening of $370M+ through Sunday. Anything but a turkey, domestic's super-charged Thanksgiving frame is looking at $215M-$220M,

Wicked” is leading a major box office resurgence with the blockbuster raking in more than $250 million domestically since hitting screens. Meanwhile, “Moana 2,” which came out Wednesday, has already grossed $175 million.

The domestic box office is poised for its biggest Thanksgiving haul since the pandemic thanks to a Polynesian princess, a pair of witches and a revenge-fueled gladiator.

Walt Disney Animation’s “Moana 2” continued on its record-shattering path, earning a massive $28 million on Thanksgiving, while lifting the fortunes of a movie business that hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years.