Moana 2 Is Already Breaking Disney Records Upon Release (2024)

Moana 2 marks a new record for Disney, making $13.8 million in Tuesday previews, the biggest preview number ever for a film from Walt Disney Animation.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in addition to breaking Disney's record in previews, Moana 2 is also the second-biggest number in previews for animated films in general, beaten out only by Pixar's Incredibles 2, which made $18.5 million. This is especially impressive given that Incredibles 2 released over the summer, when school was out. Moana 2, by contrast, is being released when less than half of schools are on break, and even fewer colleges.

The film is also the top Tuesday, pre-Thanksgiving release of all time. All this provides Disney with a good omen for how Moana 2's box office will shake out. Moana 2 is already set to have a record-breaking Thanksgiving weekend, and one AMC executive has said that the film could surpass Inside Out 2 at the box office. It is expected to be the biggest five-day earner of all time, a title currently held by another modern Disney sequel, Frozen 2.

It's set to be a good holiday at the box office all around, with Universal’s Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II performing exceptionally well. Wicked brought in $16.6 million on Tuesday, and Gladiator II made $6.7 million. Both films were released last weekend to get the jump on Moana 2's inevitable sweeping of the box office.

Moana 2 is directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller as opposed to the first film's directors, Ron Clements and John Musker (who you might remember as the directors of The Little Mermaid). However, the film is bringing back the first film's stars Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. It will feature news songs from Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, but none from the first film's Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film follows Moana and the demigod Maui as they embark on a new adventure across the ocean, beckoned by Moana's ancestors.

The film was originally intended to be a television series, but was reworked into a theatrical sequel. While the original film didn't do exceptionally well in theaters back in 2016, it later became a cultural sensation on streaming, becoming the most streamed film across all platforms in 2023.

Moana 2 is a Hit With Audiences, Less So With Critics

Reviews are coming in for the film, and while critics are calling it "a worthwhile Disney sequel", the response has been somewhat lukewarm. The film debuted with a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the score currently sitting at 67%, compared to the original Moana's 95% rating. The audience score, on the other hand, is at 89%. It's reasonable to say that critics may be experiencing some sequel fatigue with Disney. However, if the box office numbers have anything to say about it, audiences are eating these sequels up.

Moana 2 is now playing in movie theaters.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

7

10

Moana 2

PG

Animation

Comedy

Fantasy

Musical

Adventure

Moana returns to the open seas on a new adventure that takes her far beyond the horizon. Facing new challenges and meeting unfamiliar allies, she seeks to restore balance to her island after discovering an ancient threat. Alongside her loyal friends and the demigod Maui, Moana must navigate treacherous waters and mystical realms.

Director

David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller

Release Date

November 27, 2024

Cast

Auli'i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda

Writers

Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker

Runtime

100 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Studio(s)

Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

prequel(s)

Moana

Franchise(s)

Disney

Where To Stream

Disney+

Character(s)

Moana , Maui , Hei Hei , Tala , Chief Tui , Sina , Moni , Kele , Loto , Matangi , Tautai Vasa , Simea