I just looked at the biggest post Thanksgiving openers and the list is more impressive than expected ($5+m openers only):

82: -
83: -
84: -
85: $8.6m SPIES LIKE US (adjusts to $20.4m)
86: $8.1m HEARTBREAK RIDGE
87: -
88: $9.3m THE NAKED GUN + $6.4m TEQULIA SUNRISE
89: $11.8m CHRISTMAS VACATION ($24.7m)
90: $10.1m MISERY ($20.1m)
91: $18.2m STAR TREK VI ($36.2m)
92: $10.6m THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN ($21.5m)
93: -
94: -
95: -
96: $10.0m DAYLIGHT
97: -
98: $10.0m PSYCHO
99: -
00: -
01: $18.7m BEHIND ENEMY LINES ($27.8m)
02: $11.0m ANALYZE THAT + $6.3m EMPIRE
03: $24.3m THE LAST SAMURAI ($33.8m) + $12.9m HONEY ($17.9m)
04: $7.7m CLOSER
05: $12.7m AEON FLUX
06: $7.8m THE NATIVITIY STORY
07: $5.9m AWAKE
08: -
09: $9.5m BROTHERS + $6.5m ARMORED
10: -
11: -
12: $6.8m KILLING THEM SOFTLY
13: $5.2m OUT OF THE FURNACE
14: -
15: $16.0m KRAMPUS

If you build it, they will come...

2003 proves that, both openers adjust to $51.7m...

I'm sure it's a bit hard for the studios to release a bigger movie here simply because it's too tempting just to move that same movie up a week to get Thanksgiving business.

Thanksgiving weekend would have to be already pretty packed with new movies to make this option appealing.

There are so many weekends with three, four or five wide releases, I'm sure there are pictures out there, who could do better this weekend...

Really studios are afraid because of what Magnus said but I agree there are so many stuffed weekends so of the movies can release here and still do better. As far as this year is considered imagine the adult competition was so strong the movies ate into each other. Something like The Secret in Their Eyes or The Walk would have opened to a little or much higher numbers here.

TG weekend is overrated.

You are guaranteed a harsh drop second weekend. At least 50%. So if you don't start well, you're not going to get any luck the next weekend.

Similar to MD weekend.

Christmas is still the best place to release. Hardly anything does really badly.

Big weekends with less adverse effect on the second weekend would be ID and Valentine's/President's Day.

Not the point of this thread BK

There are just better weekends at this time of the year.

Yes there are better weekends at this time but we are not talking about tentpoles to be scheduled but the movies that would otherwise be dumped in say late August or early September could still be scheduled here and do well. This weekend just has a clout around it because the holdovers fall the openers cannot do well.

Certainly in a year where 3 weeks ago The 33 and Love the Coopers weekend and 5 weeks ago the Burnt/Our Brand is Criss weekend happened, there didn't need to be another punted weekend. And next week sucks too. As alluded to some of those September releases like Everest and The Walk could've found a friendlier spot later in the year. I also LOVE The Intern playing over the holidays. Every Nancy Meyers film should be released in December, that's just her spot

What? Release the Walk so it would lose all its theaters on the 18th? Out of the Furnace sure took advantage of the holidays.

The Intern might have done well though.

It shouldn't be a bomb, it shouldn't be a tentpole, or something frontloaded. Maybe a mid-sized family film or a comedy.

But we also need to look at this from the other angel: are there any real benefits in releasing on the post TG weekend? Or in another word, would those movies have not grossed as much if released on other weekends of the year? It's not necessarily about actively avoiding a particular frame, but more about giving a film the best bet to maximize its gross. Yes, releasing Star Wars on the post TG weekend would certainly still set records, but that itself is not the point; we're not comparing against 0, but comparing against the maximum potential.

In general though, I feel release dates are overrated anyway.

Well, the ones that worked well in the spot, were not comedies or famioy films: Honey, The Last Samurai, Krampus and Behind Enemy Lines.

The Walk in particular would have done better on many weekends. Also if it built WoM before 18th I don't think it will loose all its theatres. Appealing movies do well in December throughout and not just till the high profile movies release. See Avatar, Sherlock and Alvin.

With the theater average it would lose a lot of theaters.

What xiayun said. Although Krampus probably had the right date. It doesn't need to be released right before the holidays since it can play well until then. Plus it had slightly more space on the 4th.

You are assuming that it would still be doing what it did in its current release date. I don't think that theater drops are a bigger problem in December as compared to the heat of summer.

The Walk wouldn't have opened much better with any release date. This December 18, and in many other Decembers as well, theater drops are/will be worse than at almost any other time.