Hexed, Focker-in-Law Eye $40M-$50M Thanksgiving
Two Thanksgiving openers are tracking for combined five-day openings in the $40 million to $50 million range ahead of the holiday.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Animation
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Walt Disney Animation's Hexed and the Universal and Paramount comedy Focker-in-Law are tracking for $40 million to $50 million five-day Thanksgiving openings, according to tracking projections published November 6, 2026. Both films are expected to open over the five-day holiday, with Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping's second weekend in the same Thanksgiving mix.
Why it matters
The projections point to a strong holiday window for the domestic box office as the market moves toward a hoped-for $10 billion year. The outcome will show how family animation and franchise comedy perform against a crowded holiday slate.
Tracking projections place the two openers in a $40M-$50M five-day range, pacing ahead of Encanto's $40.5M Thanksgiving opening, while the Meet the Parents franchise has grossed $1.16 billion globally across three films. Final grosses remain unknown until the holiday weekend concludes.
The players
Walt Disney Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios is the animation division of The Walt Disney Company, known for features including Encanto and Moana.
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a major Hollywood film studio and a distributor of the Meet the Parents franchise, including Focker-in-Law.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is a Grammy-winning singer and actress who stars in the comedy Focker-in-Law.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro is an Academy Award-winning actor who returns to the Meet the Parents franchise in Focker-in-Law.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller is an actor and filmmaker known for the Meet the Parents franchise, which he stars in alongside De Niro.
The details
Hexed is a narrative film with needle-drop songs rather than a musical, following an awkward teen and her Type-A mother who discover their peculiarities may be magical powers, with Jodie Foster voicing Queen Celeste. Focker-in-Law, the fourth Meet the Parents film, stars Ariana Grande, Robert De Niro, and Ben Stiller, and Universal has screened it early for the press since October.
Timeline
October 2026: Universal began early press screenings of Focker-in-Law.
Two weeks before November 6, 2026: Tickets for Hexed went on sale.
November 6, 2026: Tracking projections for the Thanksgiving openings were published.
Thanksgiving 2026: Hexed and Focker-in-Law are expected to open over the five-day holiday.
Seasonal Patterns
The projections are measured against the 2024 Thanksgiving box office of $424.9M and the 2025 total of $290.3M per Rentrak, placing the 2026 openers within a holiday market that has swung sharply year over year. Whether moviegoing rebounds toward the hoped-for $10 billion domestic year will depend on how these openers and Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping perform across the Wednesday-Sunday stretch.
Families planning Thanksgiving outings can choose between Hexed and Focker-in-Law, and tickets for Hexed have been on sale since about two weeks before the November 6 tracking report. Theater availability and showtimes for both films should be checked ahead of the holiday weekend.
The takeaway
Holiday box office performance is shaped as much by how many family films open at once as by any single title, so the Thanksgiving slate is worth watching as a whole. Readers planning a trip can book early once showtimes are posted.
What happens next
Actual Thanksgiving weekend box office results for Hexed and Focker-in-Law will be reported after the five-day holiday concludes.
Further reading
Explore more Animation coverage for the studio trends behind these Thanksgiving openers.
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