Sure, Spidey is just around the corner, but Disney continues to rake in millions in the country—this time with the help of one of its most popular characters among Filipino audiences.
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| (C) Disney |
Disney's latest live-action adaptation, Moana, topped the Philippine box office with $1.235 million (est. ₱76 million) from July 8-12. Under the Disney banner, it currently ranks as the studio's third-highest opening in the country this year, behind only Toy Story 5 and The Devil Wears Prada 2. It also debuted in line with Disney's recent live-action adaptations, such as Lilo & Stitch, which opened to $1.4 million.
However, the film's opening fell well short of Moana 2, which launched to a stunning $4.9 million in 2024. Perhaps the relatively short gap between the two Moana films made audiences less eager to embrace another installment or Moana-related film so soon. Nevertheless, most studios would love to have an opening of this magnitude in today's market. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day still two weeks away, Moana has enough time to play well among families and younger moviegoers.
Despite the increased competition for family audiences, Toy Story 5 continues to hold well. In its fourth week, the film added $333K (est. ₱20 million), a solid 53% decline from the previous weekend. With its cumulative total now reaching $5 million, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang are now tied with The Loved One as the highest-grossing film in the country this year.
Speaking of competition, Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey opens on July 15. While the film has generated solid presales, demand has been heavily concentrated in IMAX, the preferred format for the acclaimed director's films.
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| (C) Columbia |
Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to challenge the likes of Inside Out 2 and Hello, Love, Again for the opening-day gross record in the post-pandemic era. At the same point in the presales cycle, the film is already tracking ahead of every blockbuster released this year, as well as major titles such as Deadpool & Wolverine and Wicked: For Good.
With the best seats already gone in the initially listed cinemas, audiences are advised to book their tickets as soon as exhibitors add more screenings to their websites.
