“Moana 2,” which started as a planned streaming series for Disney+, has reached global box office records. The animated sequel earned $1.01 billion worldwide – $445 million from domestic sales and $567 million internationally. Disney now has three movies making over a billion dollars this year: “Moana 2,” “Inside Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The movie opened on November 28 and set new records during Thanksgiving weekend with $225 million in five days, exceeding “Frozen II’s” previous record of $125 million. Though critics gave mixed reviews, audiences kept returning to theaters. The film stayed among the top five movies for seven straight weeks. In its eighth week, it reached sixth place, making $6.1 million that weekend and $8.4 million during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday period.
Made with $150 million, the film switched from a planned Disney+ series to a theater release. The results show that movies in theaters still make money and affect culture, even as streaming grows.
A Disney spokesperson said that audiences loved seeing “Moana 2” in theaters. The movie’s success helps both Disney and theater companies.
The story follows Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). The plot sends Moana sailing across the ocean to find a secret island and break a curse. New composers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear created the music after Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote songs for the first movie, did not return.
The 2016 “Moana” made $680 million worldwide. After coming to Disney+, it became very popular on the streaming service.
Disney plans a third animated movie and will make a live-action version of the first “Moana” in 2026.
