This winter’s extreme chill that has engulfed much of North America has helped fuel the Disney animated hit Frozen to box office riches that won’t easy be replicated. With several major international territories yet to open, Frozen will soon break the ice and gain entry to a prestigious club with only 17 members to date.
To counter-program the Super Bowl and add to its already enormous worldwide box office grosses, Disney released a modified “sing-a-long” version of Frozen this weekend that encouraged young girls to belt out “Let it Go” and “For the First Time in Forever” in packed theaters. The plan worked as Frozen added an estimated $9.3 million this weekend, up 2.1% from the previous weekend, that brings its North American box office haul to $360 million and counting. It is now tracking just ahead of Universal’s Despicable Me 2 through the same 73 days of release, and should top $400 million in the coming month.
When accounting for all territories where Frozen has been released to date, the feature as earned $864.4 million thus far with over $500 million coming overseas. With China on deck next weekend and Japan set to receive Frozen in March, the odds are definitely in Frozen’s favor to cross $1 billion before it bows out from its theatrical run.
As Frozen winds down from its theatrical run, it has been building steam heading into its March 18 home video release date on Blu-ray and DVD. The Blu-ray and DVD combo has been in Amazon’s top five Blu-ray bestsellers chart for well over a month, and more often than not sitting in first place, only displaced when another high profile title goes on sale. With just over six weeks until the home video release, there are many, many more copies of Frozen poised to be sold.
Click here to pre-order Frozen on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD combo for $22.99 at Amazon, nearly 50% off the $45 list price.
Disney’s Frozen has also proven to be a blowout merchandising success. Anything relating to Elsa flies off store shelves, including the Disney Infinity two-pack with Anna. It’s a safe bet that there will be another rush of Frozen merchandise sales when the Blu-ray and DVD hits.
Frozen now stands in position 34 on the all-time worldwide box office earners list. It will next pass The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and then scoot by Ice Age: Continental Drift shortly after that. With The Lion King in the rearview window and Finding Nemo in range, expect more Frozen-related programming, whether it be a theatrical sequel, direct-to-video sequel, television programming, or something else, in the coming years.