Moana 2 Smashes Box Office Expectations with $386M Global Debut

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana 2 swept into theaters, decimating all box office expectations and cementing itself as the cultural and financial phenomenon of the year. The sequel to the 2016 smash posted a massive $221 million over its five-day domestic debut, setting an all-time record for the largest five-day start ever. The film boasted record-takers for the largest Thanksgiving debut, Thanksgiving weekend, Thanksgiving Day, and Black Friday gross in history.

Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, Moana 2 reunites Auli‘i Cravalho as the voice of Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui in a new voyage set three years after the original story. The film’s combination of dazzling animation, compelling storytelling, and music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear has captivated audiences worldwide.

Domestic Box Office Milestones

Moana 2 outpaced previous records, delivering unprecedented numbers across the board:

• Biggest 5-day opening of all time: $221 million, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($204.6M).
• Biggest Thanksgiving weekend: $221M (5-day) and $135.5M (3-day), shattering Frozen 2’s $125M (5-day) and $94M (3-day).
• Thanksgiving Day record: $28M, nearly doubling Frozen 2’s $15M.
• Biggest Black Friday gross ever: $54.5M, surpassing Frozen 2’s $34.2M.
• Biggest debut in Walt Disney Animation Studios history.

With these achievements, Disney now holds the top seven Thanksgiving debuts of all time and nine of the top ten.

“Moana 2 has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that Moana has become,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. “We’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.”

Global Triumphs

The film’s success extends beyond U.S. borders, with an international debut of $165 million across 52 markets, bringing the global total to $386 million—making it the second-biggest global debut of 2024.

Key international highlights include:

• Highest animated opening weekend of all time in France.
• It was the second-highest animated weekend of all time in Italy and Brazil.
• The biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios opening is in Latin America, and it is in nearly 30 global markets, including Australia and Mexico.

The film is set to expand further, with upcoming openings in Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

A Star-Studded Adventure

Beyond its box office appeal, Moana 2 features a stellar voice cast, including Rose Matafeo, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Scherzinger, alongside newcomers Hualālai Chung and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda. Alan Tudyk reprises his role as the comedic rooster Heihei.

The sequel follows Moana as she answers an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, leading her on a dangerous journey through uncharted waters in Oceania.

Disney’s Dominance in 2024

Moana 2 is the third Disney release this year to cross the $150 million mark domestically in its opening weekend, joining Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine ($211M) and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 ($155M). These three films now rank as the biggest domestic debuts of the year.

The release of Moana 2 should firmly keep the movie as one of the year’s favorites and most successful films to date, flexing Disney’s muscle for unbeaten magic in cinematic spells.

Moana 2 is now playing in theaters worldwide.