Walt Disney Animation Studios is setting up “Moana 2” to be one of its greatest hits yet.
On its Thanksgiving Day release, the animated musical focusing on the seafaring Polynesian princess garnered a whopping $28 million domestically, making it the most profitable Turkey Day debut in history, according to studio estimates shared on Friday.
But the momentum doesn’t stop there. “Moana 2,” featuring the vocal talents of Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, is projected to rake in as much as $200 million in ticket sales during the five-day holiday break. This would break the previous Thanksgiving weekend record held by Disney’s “Frozen 2,” which brought in $125 million on its second weekend in theaters in 2019.
Within just two days, “Moana 2” has already collected an impressive $85.5 million in domestic ticket sales, as per studio estimates. Including international markets, the sequel to the 2016 blockbuster has amassed over $109 million.
The original “Moana,” which also had a Thanksgiving weekend release, made $81 million. It eventually garnered $643 million in global ticket sales and became one of the most popular streaming movie hits of all time.
The success of Disney’s latest release has sparked a much-needed revival at the box office for Hollywood studios after a tumultuous year. The film industry has faced a series of highs and lows with theatrical releases, further exacerbated by delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and dual labor strikes by actors and writers last year.
Over the past weekend, domestic distributors have raked in an estimated $400 million in ticket sales thanks to the triple threat of “Moana 2,” Universal Pictures’ “Wicked,” and Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II,” according to Comscore.
These three films have collectively brought in $340 million in ticket sales since Nov. 22, as reported by Comscore.
Once again, Disney has demonstrated its prowess in filmmaking and marketing. Originally, “Moana 2” was planned as a series for Disney+, but after Disney CEO Bob Iger returned from retirement two years ago, studio executives reevaluated their development and release strategy.
Disney had compelling data to consider: “Moana” was the most streamed movie on Disney+ and was the top streamed movie across all platforms last year, according to Nielsen.
For a long time, Disney executives kept their plans under wraps until the big announcement in early February that “Moana 2” would be hitting theaters for Thanksgiving.
With a budget of nearly $200 million, the film arrives at a time when audiences have been longing for captivating family-friendly content and films with a runtime of less than two hours. (“Moana 2” runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes.)
Promos for “Moana 2” were frequently shown during Disney’s previous hit, “Inside Out 2,” serving to pique audience interest in Moana’s latest musical adventure.
“Everything came together perfectly to create this box office sensation,” said Tony Chambers, Disney’s head of theatrical distribution.
David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller directed the film. It boasts music by Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina. Walt Disney Animation Studios produced the sequel in its Vancouver and Burbank locations.
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My name is Alex Carter, a journalist with a deep passion for independent cinema, alternative music, and contemporary art. A University of California, Berkeley journalism graduate, I’ve honed my expertise through film reviews, artist profiles, and features on emerging cultural trends. My goal is to uncover unique stories, shine a light on underrepresented talents, and explore the impact of art on our society. Follow me on SuperBoxOffice.com for insightful analysis and captivating discoveries from the entertainment world.