Against the tidal waves of Wicked and Gladiator II, Moana 2 has sailed effortlessly to success at the box office so far, earning an enormous $423 million worldwide from just seven days in theaters. Shared between a domestic haul of $239 million and $184 million from overseas markets, the highly-anticipated return to the seas of Oceania is already looking to be one of the year’s biggest hits and has even smashed its way into the domestic top 10 despite a short run thus far.
Because of this, Moana 2‘s production company, Disney, has officially surpassed a huge milestone at this year’s domestic box office, with all their movies accumulating over $1.5 billion in the past twelve months in North America alone. Moana 2 is already third on this list, but it is fair to say that 2024’s two biggest hits, Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2, are the main contributors with more than 80% of the company’s total. This total is still without the company’s final big release of the year, Mufasa: The Lion King, which is scheduled for December 20, 2024.
‘Moana 2’ Is Obstructed by Disney’s Vision For the Future
After the enormous success of the first outing, Moana is clearly one of Disney’s most exciting IPs, especially when one considers just how much they seem to be throwing at it. Once intended to be a Disney+ episodic series, Moana 2 was instead fashioned for the big screen on the promise of both big box office rewards and greater exposure for the burgeoning Moana franchise. Next in line for the series is a live-action remake also set to star Dwayne Johnson, although, with one eye on setting up for the future, it seems as if some of the shine has been taken from the sequel’s finished product. This is something mentioned in Ross Bonaime’s review of the film for Collider:
“While it’s very impressive how
Moana 2
gives us more opportunities for where this story can go, as with the first film,
this sequel often feels compelled to set us up for further adventures down the line
. Moving this project from Disney+ to the big screen proves that Disney sees the potential in this property going forward not only with future sequels but a live-action remake
already coming in 2026 (marking the smallest gap between the animated film and its live-action version). Along with the Journey of Water area in EPCOT, it’s clear Disney has high hopes for the legacy of this world. But it also leaves some aspects, especially the villain of Kakamora, as something that is being set up rather than a thread that gets tied up in this installment.”
Moana 2 has helped Disney surpass the $1.5 billion mark at the 2024 domestic box office. You can watch the sequel right now in theaters.
Moana sets out on another daring voyage, venturing into uncharted territories to save her island from a looming ancient danger. Joined by the demigod Maui and her steadfast friends, she braves perilous seas and encounters new allies along the way. Her quest leads to revelations about her ancestors and deeper insights into her bond with the ocean.
- Release Date
- November 27, 2024
- Director
- David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller
- 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
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
