There was never any doubt that Disney Animation’s Ralph Breaks the Internet would hold on to its no. 1 spot at the box office for a second straight weekend, but the big surprise turned out to be Universal-Illumination’s The Grinch, which jumped back up into second place in its fourth weekend.
The one-two positions of animated films at the U.S. box office is a rare occurrence. The last time that animated films owned both top spots was in June 2012, when Disney-Pixar’s Brave launched atop the box office, and Dreamworks Madagascar 3 took second place in its third weekend.
Ralph grossed an estimated $25.7 million in it second frame. Its total — just under $120 million — is virtually identical to the performance of Disney’s Moana in 2016, which also opened during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ralph’s second weekend drop of 54% is the biggest decrease for a Disney animated film since Tangled in 2010, which raises questions about how strong its legs will be through the holiday season.
