The combination of the animated sequel, the history-making musical 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' is delivering a historic post-pandemic victory for the box office.

The big splash continues for Disney’s “Moana 2,” which earned a massive $54.5 million on Black Friday from 4,200 locations, shattering the $34.1 million record that was notched by “Frozen II” in 2019.

Animation continues to dominate theatrical business this year, as "Moana 2" climbs the charts toward an inevitable showdown with current box office champ "Inside Out 2."