Moana 2just crossed another major milestone at the box office. After a slow year for theaters, the final months of 2024 have been an explosion for the box office.Gladiator II,Wicked, and nowtheMoanasequel are all poised for a strong finish. WithKraven the HunterandThe Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimhaving released this week, the latest Disney sequel could have stumbled, butMoana 2’s hit soundtrackhelped to propel it past another record.
According to a report byVariety, the movie earned the top spot for its third straight weekend. With a $26.6 million domestic take on the weekend,it has crossed $337.5 million domestically and$717 million globally so far. That surpassesDune: Part Two’s $714.4 million global gross. It also means that the movie has officially taken its place as the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2024 just three weeks into its run.
What Moana 2’s Milestone Means
The March To $1 Billion Continues
The dream of another $1 billion movie for this year still remains within Disney’s grasp.Moana 2has broken several box officerecords already, earning the biggest global opening weekend for an animated movie, the best Thanksgiving weekend opener ever, and the biggest opening gross for an animated Disney movie. Having reportedly relied on a $150 million budget, the movie needed approximately $375 million to break even after theaters and marketing budgets took their cuts. With a $717 million total,it has already nearly doubled that number.
Moana 2was originally intended to be a Disney+ series.
The runaway success willvery likely break the coveted $1 billion number. The 2016 original came nowhere near that total, but it is earning much more notice as an established property. This week, the movie saw success by competing with two others that severely disappointed inKravenandRohirrim, but it should see its progress slow in the coming weeks.Mufasa: The Lion Kingwill premiere next week, whileNosferatuwill debut on December 25.Nosferatuwill not draw the same audience, butMufasashould put up a fight. Still, regardless of competition,Moana 2should easily cross $1 billion.
Our Take On Moana 2’s Success
This Is Not Surprising
The financial accomplishments of Disney’s latest hit should come as no surprise. The original movie earned over $640 million at the box office before it was even a proven product. Inflation and a pre-existing audience meant that the movie was extremely likely to see success. Even with competition fromWicked, the animated blockbuster was likely to see some similar levels of success asInside Out 2. Disney has had a serious resurgence this year, andMoana 2was always going to be a box office juggernaut.
Moana 2
Cast
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
