Moana 2 is making waves at the box office, consistently breaking records since its release on Thanksgiving Eve. With the holiday approaching, expectations for the Walt Disney Animation sequel were already high, with projections estimating an impressive opening between $125 million and $135 million for the extended five-day weekend.
However, the enchanting family film far exceeded those expectations, earning a dazzling $225 million over the five-day period, including a remarkable $139.7 million during its opening days.
During the three-day weekend, audiences flocked to theaters in droves, eager to experience the latest adventures of the brave Moana, once again voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, alongside the charismatic demigod Maui, reprised by Dwayne Johnson.
Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the Moana sequel picks up with the beloved young heroine as she embarks on an unexpected adventure in uncharted waters, prompted by a call from her ancestors. As fans would expect, Maui returns to join her on this thrilling journey.
The final box office figures for Moana 2 surpassed initial estimates, with the five-day total reaching an impressive $225 million and the three-day total hitting $139.7 million, reflecting the overwhelming enthusiasm for this beloved sequel.
Internationally, Moana 2 also made a spectacular debut, earning $165.8 million overseas, bringing its global opening total to a staggering $389 million, up from Sunday’s estimated total of $386.3 million. The film dominated the box office, claiming the top spot in nearly every market, except for China.
The evolution of Moana into a franchise has been rather unconventional. While the original film, released in 2016, performed well at the box office, it didn’t achieve extraordinary success. Initially, plans for a sequel focused on creating a Disney+ series rather than a full-length feature. However, the original movie soon blossomed into a cultural phenomenon among children, ultimately becoming the most-streamed film across all platforms in 2023, according to Nielsen.
This Thanksgiving weekend featured a remarkable lineup of films, including Universal’s record-breaking Wicked and Paramount’s Gladiator II. Together, these three movies contributed to the most lucrative Thanksgiving weekend ever, amassing an astonishing $420 million in domestic holiday earnings—surpassing the previous record of $316 million set in 2018 by over $100 million, according to Comscore.
