The Pixar superhero movie “Incredibles 2” made 14 years of anticipation worth the wait for Disney, as the follow-up to 2004’s “The Incredibles” smashed the record for highest animation debut of all time with an estimated $180 million in ticket sales for the U.S. and Canada, according to the measurement firm ComScore.
“Pixar has set the bar so incredibly high for over two decades that, to be sitting here in the summer of 2018 with their biggest debut ever is most impressive,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. He attributed the new film’s success to the “huge longevity and consistency of the brand that few can rival.”
He said it was “staggering” that an animated film could perform so strongly, especially since a substantial number of tickets were for children. “That means an even greater number of people were in theaters this weekend than $180 million would imply because of lowered ticket pricing for kids,” Dergarabedian said.
“Incredibles 2” opened above analysts’ domestic predictions of $120 million to $140 million and also has amassed $51.5 million in international receipts. The film was a hit with audiences and critics, earning an A-plus rating on CinemaScore and a 94% “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Of Pixar’s 20 films, “Incredibles 2” is the seventh to earn an A-plus CinemaScore rating.
“You don’t get to numbers this big without getting everyone, but we were really pleased with all of the demos,” said Cathleen Taff, Disney’s distribution chief. “It’s a…
