‘Moana’ Three-peats Atop U.S. Box Office, ‘Your Name’ #1 In China, ‘Sing’ Tops in Germany

Animation is number one everywhere you look.

In its third U.S. weekend, Disney’s Moana squeezed by the launch of Office Christmas Party to keep first place at the American box office. The Ron Clements and John Musker-directed film earned an estimated $18.8 million, boosting its domestic total to $145 million. Internationally, Moana picked up $23.5M, growing its foreign total to $93.8M. The global cume stands at $238.8M.

Your Name retained the No. 1 spot in China with a $15.1 million second weekend. (There are conflicting numbers from China, with some sources giving the weekend title to Hacksaw Ridge, but the day-by-day totals add up in favor of Your Name.)

Makoto Shinkai’s smash-hit has now earned $71M in China, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film ever released in that country, a success that even carries geopolitical implications for the two countries, who are regional foes. (Your Name is the highest-grossing film released in Japan this year, and the second-highest-grossing film of all-time in Japan, behind just Spirited Away.) Moana has not enjoyed a similarly warm reception in China; the film has grossed around $26M to date, and still hasn’t cracked the top 10 animated features released this year in China.

Meanwhile, Universal has begun the international roll-out for Garth Jennings’ Sing, which should be another major global hit for red-hot Illumination. The film attracted $9.6M from eight territories, with a $4.8 million No. 1 launch Germany, its biggest territory so far. Sing will open in the United States and most other countries on December 21.