For U.S. moviegoers, November 2024’s major new releases included Wicked, Gladiator II and Moana 2. The first two opened on the same weekend; Disney’s animated sequel arrived November 27, ahead of Thanksgiving. This is a highlights roundup, not a complete calendar of every November release.
What were the major new movies in November 2024?
The three films offer very different reasons to head to a theater: a screen adaptation of a hit musical, a historical action sequel, and a family-oriented animated musical adventure. The release dates and opening figures below refer to the U.S. market unless otherwise specified. Their box-office numbers are historical opening estimates, not current totals.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Beauty & The Beast | $10.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Wicked: The Soundtrack | $9.78 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
High School Musical | $11.39 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Lost Boys (Original Soundtrack) | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Prince Of Egypt: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | $6.58 | Buy on Amazon |
| Film | What it is | U.S. release timing | Verified detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked | Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo | Opened alongside Gladiator II in November 2024 | AP reported a $114 million domestic and $164.2 million worldwide opening estimate on November 24, 2024, citing studio estimates. |
| Gladiator II | Ridley Scott’s action-adventure sequel, starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington | Opened alongside Wicked in November 2024 | Paramount lists an R rating and a 148-minute runtime. AP reported a $55.5 million domestic opening estimate on November 24, 2024. |
| Moana 2 | Animated musical adventure directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller | U.S. theatrical release: November 27, 2024 | AP reported an estimated $135 million Friday-to-Sunday opening in the U.S. and Canada on December 1, 2024. |
Wicked: a musical adaptation for the big screen
Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in a film adaptation of the stage musical. Its opening coincided with Gladiator II in November 2024, creating a high-profile weekend with two very different theatrical draws.
On November 24, 2024, the Associated Press reported studio estimates of $114 million domestically and $164.2 million worldwide for Wicked’s opening weekend. Those figures describe the initial weekend, not the film’s eventual or current box-office total. Universal distribution chief Jim Orr told AP the studio saw “an opportunity to dominate a weekend and get a very large running start into the Thanksgiving holiday.” Read AP’s opening-weekend report.
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Gladiator II: Ridley Scott returns to the Colosseum
Gladiator II follows Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, after Rome conquers his home and he is forced into the Colosseum. Denzel Washington is also among the film’s leads. Paramount classifies it as an R-rated action/adventure/drama and lists its running time as 148 minutes. See Paramount’s film page.
Its November 2024 opening weekend overlapped with Wicked. AP reported an estimated $55.5 million domestic opening on November 24, 2024; this is an opening-weekend estimate, not a lifetime gross. Read AP’s report on the two films’ openings.
Rank #2
- Wicked: The Soundtrack features performances by the stars of Universal Pictures' cinematic event with music and lyrics by legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz
Moana 2: an animated adventure for Thanksgiving
In Disney’s sequel, Moana receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and sets out with Maui and a new crew into dangerous, long-lost waters. Disney lists David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller as directors, and gives the U.S. theatrical release date as November 27, 2024. International release dates differed, so November 27 is specifically the U.S. date. See Disney Animation’s film page and Disney’s announcement.
Disney reported 178 million trailer views in the first 24 hours in an interview with the directors. Director Dana Ledoux Miller described the music this way: “The music is memorable; you can’t stop singing the songs.” Read Disney’s interview with the directors.
Rank #3
Box-office reports distinguish two opening windows: AP reported an estimated $135 million for Friday through Sunday in the U.S. and Canada on December 1, 2024, and separately described the five-day Thanksgiving opening as a record. The $135 million figure is the three-day estimate, not the five-day total. Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told AP, “Whoever made that decision to go big screen globally with ‘Moana 2,’ that was one of the greatest decisions ever.” Read AP’s Thanksgiving box-office report.
How to choose among the three
- Pick Wicked for a musical adaptation led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
- Pick Gladiator II for a long-form, R-rated historical action sequel; its listed runtime is 148 minutes.
- Pick Moana 2 for an animated adventure built around Moana, Maui, a new crew and a musical score.
What “and more” means here
This roundup covers the three named highlights, not every film released in November 2024. It does not attempt to list every limited engagement, international release, or streaming premiere. The opening figures are dated estimates from 2024, and they should be read with their reporting windows and territories rather than as current performance data.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
