Disney’s Moana 2 is riding an unstoppable wave of success, officially outperforming the 2016 original at the box office in record time. Featuring the return of Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Auli’i Cravalho as Moana, the sequel is making serious waves, projected to rake in a massive $55 to $60 million during its second weekend—a rare feat for the usually quiet post-Thanksgiving box office. For comparison, Frozen II previously held the record for this same weekend with $35.1 million back in 2019, but Moana 2 has sailed far past that mark. After a staggering $139.7 million opening weekend, the momentum has hardly slowed, with Friday’s haul alone estimated between $11 and $12 million. In just one week, the sequel has already surpassed the original film’s domestic total of $248.7 million.
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What Other Records Has Moana 2 Broken?
The film isn’t just a box office hit—it’s making history. Moana 2 claimed the title of the biggest opening ever for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film, surpassing Frozen 2’s $130.3 million debut. It also set a new record for Disney’s largest Tuesday preview earnings, bringing in $13.8 million, and achieved the second-highest animated movie preview ever, behind Incredibles 2. For Dwayne Johnson, the movie marks a career milestone: alongside his holiday release Red One, he became the first Hollywood star to have two No. 1 openings in the same month, with Moana 2 delivering his second-best opening weekend after Furious 7.
Global and International Success
Globally, Moana 2 continues to dominate. With a jaw-dropping $386.3 million worldwide debut, it now holds the second-highest global opening of 2024, just behind Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s also ranked third for the biggest animated global debut, only trailing The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Frozen 2. Internationally, it achieved Disney’s best-ever animated opening in regions like Latin America, Australia, and Italy, and claimed the highest animated weekend of all time in markets such as France, Poland, and the UAE.
Currently playing in theaters, Moana 2 has cemented itself as a box office powerhouse. Stay tuned for updates as it continues its record-breaking journey!
