Theater counts: Zootopia 2 barrels into its third weekend, holding strong as the widest release

December 11, 2025

While Zootopia 2 held the theatrical edge in theater count, it was newcomer Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 that stole the spotlight, debuting with a fierce $64 million. As Zootopia inches closer to the $1 billion global milestone, the question now is, can it claw its way back to the top, or will Freddy’s reign continue? Either way, the two must push past a surge of rivals to return to the winner’s circle.

New to theaters this weekend is Ella McCay. Set in 2008, the film stars Emma Mackey as Ella McCay, an idealistic 34-year-old lieutenant governor who unexpectedly becomes governor when her longtime mentor accepts a position in the presidential cabinet. Ella must navigate legislative challenges, public scrutiny, and the responsibilities of executive office. Simultaneously, she must confront the complexities of her personal life, including tensions with her estranged father, the vulnerabilities of her younger brother, and the instability in her marriage. The film will be available in 2,500 movie houses.

Also opening in wide release this weekend is Dust Bunny. The movie follows 10-year-old Aurora, who claims a monster under her bed ate her family, and recruits a reluctant hitman to slay the creature. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and Sophie Sloan. The count for Dust Bunny will be updated once reported by the studio.

Also making its way into cinemas this weekend is Silent Night, Deadly Night. Directed by Mike P. Nelson, the Christmas slasher film is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. The movie follows Billy Chapman, a deeply scarred man who, as a child, witnessed his parents’ brutal murder on Christmas Eve at the hands of a violent assailant. As an adult, Billy returns each holiday season to don a Santa Claus suit and unleash a bloody killing spree, targeting those he judges to have been “naughty.” The film will be playing in 1,643 cinemas.

Arriving back into theaters for its 25th anniversary release is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The film starring Jim Carrey has earned well over $262 million since its debut back in 2000, and is poised to add significantly to that by playing in a solid 2,250 theaters this weekend.

Rounding out the top five this weekend, we see the current box office leader, Zootopia 2 showing in 3,835 theaters. Occupying the spot as the second widest release is the aforementioned Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, adding 165 locations to its opening count for a total of 3,579 theaters. Wicked: For Good loses 515 cinemas this weekend, but is still widely available in 3,480 locations. Lastly, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t drops 218 cinemas but still holds plenty of viewing opportunities, playing in 2,411 theaters.

Looking ahead to next weekend, we see the debut of the highly anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is projected to arrive in approximately 3,800 locations. Also opening in wide release are The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants and The Housemaid, expected to launch in 3,500 and 3,100 theaters, respectively.

Theater Counts for December 12

Movie	Distributor	Theaters	Previous Theaters	Change
Zootopia 2	Walt Disney	3,835	4,000	-165
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2	Universal	3,579	3,412	+165
Wicked: For Good	Universal	3,480	3,985	-515
Ella McCay	20th Century Studios	2,500		New
Now You See Me Now You Don’t	Lionsgate	2,411	2,629	-218
How the Grinch Stole Christmas	Universal	2,250
Eternity	A24	2,067	2,386	-320
Silent Night, Deadly Night	Fathom Events	1,643		New
Predator: Badlands	20th Century Studios	1,265	2,080	-815
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair	Lionsgate	1,204	1,198	+6
The Running Man	Paramount Pictures	893	1,549	-656
Sarah’s Oil	Amazon MGM Studios	817	277	+0
Hamnet	Focus Features	749	744	+5
One Battle After Another	Warner Bros.	572	31	+541
Fackham Hall	Bleecker Street	334	1,112	-778
Rental Family	Searchlight Pictures	315	1,005	-690
Regretting You	Paramount Pictures	243	291	-48
Rebuilding	Bleecker Street	180	27	+153
100 Nights of Hero	IFC Entertainment Group	50	828	-778
Bugonia	Focus Features	46	70	-24

Estimates for December 19

Avatar: Fire and Ash	20th Century Studios	3,800		New
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants	Paramount Pictures	3,500		New
The Housemaid	Lionsgate	3,100		New

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