It’s mid-December, the point on the movie calendar where studios start playing chess and audiences start playing “Who’s taking the kids?” The weekend ending December 14, 2025 (Dec. 12–14) delivered a clear headline: Disney’s “Zootopia 2” bounced back to the top spot—and it did it with the kind of staying power exhibitors love (and rival studios fear). (The Numbers)
At the same time, the weekend also gave us one of the classic box office stories: a front-loaded horror sequel that came in hot… then hit a steep second-weekend slide.
Overall, the market cooled sharply from last weekend—the Top 10 made about $69.6M, a big drop from the prior frame. (Box Office Mojo)
The Weekend’s Big Picture (Dec. 12–14)
The Top 3 did most of the heavy lifting:
- #1 “Zootopia 2” — $26.3M (down 39% from last weekend) (The Numbers)
- #2 “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” — $19.5M (down a sharp 70%) (The Numbers)
- #3 “Wicked: For Good” — $8.55M (down 51%) (The Numbers)
And one of the more surprising stories in the top tier:
- #4 “Dhurandhar” — $3.5M (up 65%) (The Numbers)
Winners
Winner: “Zootopia 2” (The “legs” champ)
If you like movie math, here’s the kind that matters: a -39% third-weekend drop for a family title in December is the stuff that turns a hit into a juggernaut. (The Numbers)
“Zootopia 2” has now reached roughly $258.97M domestic and crossed the $1B worldwide mark—helped by an enormous overseas run. (The Numbers)
Why it’s winning:
- Families are showing up again and again.
- It’s playing as a “four-quadrant” crowd-pleaser (kids + parents + date nights).
- It’s perfectly positioned before the next wave of holiday releases hits.
Winner: “Dhurandhar” (The “momentum” play)
A jump like +65% is rare this deep into a release pattern, and it signals something important: the movie found an audience and is expanding beyond the opening-weekend base. (The Numbers)
Winner: “Wicked: For Good” (The quiet workhorse)
Even with a significant drop, staying in the top three at this time of year is a victory. It’s the type of title that can keep collecting while bigger newcomers grab headlines—especially when families split viewing choices.
Losers
Loser: “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” (Classic horror front-load)
A 70% second-weekend tumble is the definition of “everyone who wanted to see it already saw it.” (The Numbers)
The good news (for the studio) is that it’s still financially sturdy: the film has piled up a strong domestic total quickly and was produced at a comparatively modest budget for a major sequel. (AP News)
The bad news (for theaters) is that horror burns bright—and fast—so it gives up screens quickly once the next shiny object arrives.
Loser: “Ella McCay” (A tough debut)
The weekend’s most painful story belongs to “Ella McCay,” which debuted softly (around $2.1M domestic) and immediately landed in “rough start” territory. (AP News)
The rest of the Top 10: steady… but small
The weekend top 10 included holdovers and specialty titles like “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution,” plus holiday re-releases like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Shining.” (WBAL Baltimore News)
This is that December in-between zone: lots of options, but audiences are clearly waiting for the next major event movie.
Coming This Week: New Releases & Box Office Projections
The main event: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (Opens Friday, Dec. 19)
This is the weekend’s gravitational force. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” opens nationwide on Dec. 19, 2025. (Avatar.com)
How big could it be?
Trade tracking has it in the neighborhood of ~$110M domestic opening (with ranges often cited around $100M–$130M), while longer-range forecasts have gone even higher. (Deadline)
What to expect:
- Premium screens (IMAX/PLF) will be a battlefield—and “Avatar” tends to win that battle.
- The runtime and repeat-viewing factor matter: “Avatar” films often behave more like marathons than sprints, building monster totals over holiday legs rather than relying solely on opening weekend.
Counterprogramming that could surprise people
“The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” (Dec. 19)
Yes, it’s opening against a cinematic titan. But SpongeBob is the definition of recognizable IP, and studios love a good family alternative when one film is dominating premium formats. (Boxoffice Pro)
“The Housemaid” (Dec. 19)
This one has real upside if it connects with adult audiences looking for something newer—and not three hours long. (Box Office Theory)
“David” (Dec. 19)
Faith-based releases can be extremely forecast-resistant (they outperform when community turnout kicks in). Tracking models have it on the slate with meaningful potential. (Box Office Theory)
What Should We Watch For Next Weekend?
1) Will “Avatar” lift everything—or squeeze everything?
A true four-quadrant monster can bring people back to theaters and raise the whole weekend’s floor. But it can also hog showtimes and premium screens, shrinking oxygen for everything else.
2) Can “Zootopia 2” hold strong as the holiday “family default”?
Even with “SpongeBob” arriving, “Zootopia 2” is already playing like the season’s repeat-viewing champ. If its drops stay reasonable, it can keep cashing checks well into Christmas week. (The Numbers)
3) Does “Freddy’s 2” stabilize, or keep sliding?
After a -70% drop, the question becomes whether it finds a new normal—or falls off a cliff as attention moves to the next event release. (The Numbers)
Bottom Line
The weekend ending Dec. 14, 2025 belonged to “Zootopia 2”—a clear winner with global momentum and the kind of staying power studios dream about. (AP News)
The biggest loser was the second-weekend plunge for “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” while next weekend is all about whether “Avatar: Fire and Ash” arrives as a “big opening” hit, a “long legs” hit… or (classic Cameron) both. (Deadline)turn1search0turn0search2
