Multiple theater chains are claiming that 2024 marked their busiest Thanksgiving weekend on record as Moana 2 and Wicked had massive showings.
According to AMC Theatres, more than 8.8 million tickets were sold for movies from last Wednesday through Sunday, marking its busiest Thanksgiving weekend ever. Regal said attendance at its theaters broke 5 million, also setting a record.
Black Friday was AMC Theatres' second-highest single day for revenue and second-busiest Friday in AMC history.
“This five-day Thanksgiving period in 2024 was one for the ages. At AMC theatres in the United States and abroad, AMC welcomed more than 8 million moviegoers from Wednesday through Sunday. In the U.S., AMC shattered record after record for attendance, admissions revenue, food & beverage revenue and total revenue," said AMC CEO Adam Aron.
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Regal says that December releases should help cinemas close 2024 on a strong note.
"Tis the season for moviegoing. The Thanksgiving weekend has completely exceeded our wildest expectations with records for Regal Cineworld in attendance, box office, and concessions. Congratulations to all our studio partners on this record-breaking weekend," said Eduardo Acuna, CEO at Regal Cineworld. "The theatrical experience is one that cannot be replicated, and we are excited to keep this momentum going through the end of the year with blockbuster releases including Kraven, Sonic 3, and Mufasa to name just a few."
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According to Box Office Mojo, Moana 2 took in over $225 million throughout the U.S. last week. Wicked followed an impressive opening weekend by earning $118.2 million during the five-day holiday weekend.
The movie industry has seen a slow but steady return to business since the COVID-19 pandemic. But even as recently as February, AMC acknowledged the challenges it has faced coming out of the pandemic. Since the pandemic, more than 10% of AMC locations have closed.
"With the changing operating landscape for the film exhibition industry following the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with decreases in revenue during that time frame, we may face difficulty in maintaining relationships with our creditors, landlords, vendors, motion picture distributors, customers, and employees," AMC said earlier this year. "Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, some movie studios have reduced the theatrical exclusive release window, have skipped a theatrical release and released their movies through streaming or other channels, or have announced that future theatrical releases will be released concurrently through streaming channels. Studios may continue to do so with additional releases."
