Box Office Records Smashed With 'Moana 2' Release

TV & Film

Dec 1

Moana 2 is off to a strong box office start. If the trend continues, the latest animated Disney film could pull in more than $300 million for its opening weekend. Moana 2 is currently competing with Wicked at the box office, but neither film is hurt by the competition. Wicked is on track to earn about $320 million globally. The extended Thanksgiving weekend is likely part of the film’s success as families have time off from work to catch a couple of movies. Currently, Inside Out 2 has the record for the highest-grossing animated film, and the Thanksgiving weekend record belongs to Frozen II.

Moana 2 will remain the newest children’s film in theaters until December 20th with the release of Paramount’s third Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Shortly after, Mufasa premieres, leading to a bit of in-house competition with Disney. While the first Moana saw a rather muted box office, it quickly became a cultural sensation with its focus on Polynesian culture, inspiring music, and memorable characters. Auli'i Cravalho plays the titular Moana with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson back as the demigod Maui. Reviewers have shown little praise for the film, but that hasn’t stopped families from showing up and helping Moana 2 break box office records.