‘Napoleon' battles out 'Wish' at box office as 'Hunger Games' prequel reigns top

In a surprising turn of events, Ridley Scott's historical epic Napoleon is performing far better than expected at the box office, challenging Disney's animated musical Wish for the top spot over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Both films are currently neck and neck, with Napoleon expected to gross around $36 million and Wish projected to earn around $37 million.

The success of Napoleon is a welcome surprise for Apple Original Productions, which financed the film. The studio had initially been concerned about the film's commercial prospects, given its historical setting and mature subject matter.

However, positive word-of-mouth and strong reviews have helped to propel the film to the top of the box office.

Meanwhile, Wish is performing in line with expectations, but its lackluster performance has raised concerns about the future of the Disney animated musical genre.

The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and some analysts believe that it may not be able to match the box office success of recent Disney hits like Frozen and Encanto.

Despite the challenges facing Wish, Lionsgate's Hunger Games prequel is expected to emerge as the overall winner of the Thanksgiving box office.

The film is projected to gross around $42 million over the five-day holiday period, marking a strong debut for the new franchise.

The Thanksgiving box office is shaping up to be a surprisingly diverse one, with a mix of historical epics, animated musicals, and young adult adaptations vying for the top spot. It remains to be seen which film will ultimately emerge victorious, but one thing is for sure: the box office is in for an exciting and unpredictable holiday season.