Why Wicked: For Good vs. Zootopia 2 Is A Box Office Team-Up (Not A Battle)

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Movie box office numbers are frequently discussed as if there’s only a limited amount of audience interest. It’s seen as a competition where films vie for viewers’ attention each weekend. Studios generally try not to release major films at the same time as competing blockbusters, because even the film that performs best can still underperform if there’s strong competition.

Often, movies don’t directly compete with each other. Films aimed at different viewers can successfully share the market without taking away from each other’s audience, which is why releasing a movie like Nosferatu during the Christmas season was a good strategy. The ideal situation is something like ‘Barbenheimer,’ where two very different films become linked and attract fans of both – though that wasn’t intentional. The simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, rumored to be Warner Bros.’ response to Christopher Nolan leaving the studio, initially caused some concern.

While some movie releases are chaotic, this one is well-planned. On November 21st, Wicked: For Good will premiere in theaters, and Zootopia 2 will follow on the next Wednesday. Instead of competing for viewers, both films are expected to do well over the Thanksgiving weekend because of a beneficial arrangement between them.

On Thanksgiving, Having Similar Target Audiences Can Be A Good Thing

Both Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 appeal to a wide range of moviegoers, and they share many of the same potential viewers. Typically, releasing two similar movies at the same time could cause issues. However, during a holiday weekend – when theaters usually do well – this overlap could actually be a smart move.

If a movie theater is crowded, the showing you want might be sold out. Families could arrive or check online only to find their chosen movie is full. If the only other option is a less popular film like Sisu 2: Road to Revenge, they might just give up and do something else. However, someone who wanted to see Zootopia 2 might be willing to see Wicked: For Good instead, and the same goes the other way around.

We saw this happen just last year when Wicked came out the weekend before Moana 2. While Moana 2 shattered Thanksgiving box office records, Wicked actually did very well, dropping only 27.9% in its second weekend – which is a great result, as most movies are happy with a drop of 50% or less. This pattern has been seen in previous years as well.

Recent years have seen a successful formula at the box office: pairing a large-scale blockbuster with a family-friendly animated movie. For example, 2016 brought us Moana and Fantastic Beasts, 2013 had The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen, and in 2010 it was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 alongside Tangled. We can likely anticipate a similar trend leading to success this year.

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2025-10-31 00:57