\n\tFreddy Fazbear and his gaggle of pizzeria party animals brought a welcome boost to the typically muted post-Thanksgiving box office.<\/p>\n
\n\tUniversal and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster\u2019s PG-13 sequel \u201cFive Nights at Freddy\u2019s 2,\u201d based on the second installment in Scott Cawthon\u2019s popular horror game franchise, took first place on Friday, debuting to $29.8 million from 3,412 North American theaters. That puts the film on track to gross $56.5 million domestically by Sunday, well past early projections of a $35 million to $40 million opening weekend.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe first \u201cFive Nights at Freddy\u2019s\u201d launched to a stellar $80 million in 2023, a surprising result considering it simultaneously debuted in theaters and on Peacock. That film eventually reached sleeper hit status with a $300 million global tally. The sequel boasts a price tag of $36 million, so it won\u2019t take much to bring Universal and Blumhouse into the green.<\/p>\n
\n\tStars Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail and Piper Rubio are back for \u201cFive Nights at Freddy\u2019s 2,\u201d which follows a former Freddy Fazbear\u2019s Pizza night guard as he fights for his life against a cast of animatronic killers. Emma Tammi returned as director and Cawthon returned as screenwriter for the sequel. New cast members include McKenna Grace, Teo Briones, Freddy Carter and more.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe No. 2 slot this week went to another sequel starring a much friendlier group of anthropomorphic animals. Disney\u2019s \u201cZootopia 2<\/a>\u201d took second with $10.2 million domestically on Friday. The film, which follows Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they investigate a mysterious reptile in their mammal-centric city, is expected to gross around $45 million by Sunday, representing a decline of roughly 55% from its $98 million debut last weekend over the traditional three-day frame.<\/p>\n \n\tLast week, over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday frame, \u201cZootopia 2\u201d went nuclear with $559 million worldwide. The film cemented several records<\/a> with that figure, including the fourth-largest worldwide debut in box office history (after \u201cAvengers: Endgame,\u201d \u201cAvengers: Infinity War\u201d and \u201cSpider-Man: No Way Home\u201d), and the largest global launch of all time for an animated film.<\/p>\n \n\tThird place went to Gkids\u2019 \u201cJujutsu Kaisen: Execution,\u201d which debuted to an estimated $4.9 million on Friday from 1,833 North American locations. The film cuts together portions of the \u201cJujutsu Kaisen\u201d anime series and repackages them for a theatrical release. It\u2019s expected to reach just over $10 million in the States by Sunday.<\/p>\n