'The Croods 2' Tops U.S. Box Office Again In A Tepid Post-Thanksgiving Weekend

The weekend after Thanksgiving typically sees some of the biggest drops of the year — which would mean something if we weren't in a pandemic. On the plus side, this year's post-Thanksgiving weekend drop was only about 40%, compared to the average 50% drop. Which doesn't mean much when the few films that are showing in U.S. theaters at this time made less than $9 million all together this past weekend.

The Croods: A New Age took a club to the competition at the post-Thanksgiving weekend box office, taking the top spot for a second weekend in a row. And it's thanks to the family-friendly Universal title that theaters aren't seeing the lowest-grossing weekend since theaters began reopening in mid-August, boosting the box office with $4.4 million. Following The Croods sequel at the No. 2 spot was the new Focus Features dramedy directed by Role Models producer Luke Greenfield Half Brothers, which took in $720,000 in its opening weekend.

Overall, the North American post-Thanksgiving weekend saw a box office draw of less than $9 million — a sad number compared to the just-under $100 million that 2019 saw. But with the pandemic still going strong and lockdowns imminent as cases continue to surge, audiences are naturally reluctant to brave the movie theater, especially when most of the releases — like Freaky, Let Him Go, and Come Play — are available on PVOD for $19.99. Three of the other films in the top 10, including The Croods 2, will also debut on VOD platforms this month.

Rounding out the top 10 is Elf, which enjoyed a Christmas season re-release in theaters and is enjoying a resurgence on streaming sites like Apple TV, and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The latter earned only $52,000 in 179 theaters, but it's more of a tactic to earn attention for the home video reissue of the Francis Ford Coppola classic.