While beating Disney’s impressive $1.6 billion record is quite the challenge,Moana 2may actually have a shot thanks to one impressive stat of its own. Set to release the week of Thanksgiving,Moana 2is set to feature the return of Auliʻi Cravalho’s Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Maui as they embark on a brand-new adventure. To that end, the impressive success of the first movie in one key area may give it a chance to become one of the highest-earning Disney movies, and could perhaps beat a major record Disney already broke in 2024.
Earlier this year,Disney and Pixar’sInside Out 2was released over the summer and did some incredible numbers at the box office. Since its theatrical release in June,Inside Outhas made over $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.While it would certainly be difficult to top the success ofInside Out 2, there are some signs thatMoana 2could do even better, especially when considering one key statistic about the original film that was released eight years ago in 2016.
Moana’s Incredible Disney Streaming Record Proves The Franchise’s Popularity
Disney’s Most-Streamed Movie Of All Time
According to a report from Bloomberg which cited Nielsen data,Moanais one of the most-streamed movies of all time. It has consistently hit record streaming numbers since the launch of Disney+ in 2019, ranking among the four most-streamed films on any streaming service every year since. Likewise,Moanahas remained among the streaming top 10 for most of 2024. According to the Bloomberg report, “Fans have watched nearly 80 billion minutes of Moana, the equivalent of seeing the picture 748 million times.”
Without a doubt, this statistic is quite an impressive achievement for Disney and the firstMoanafilm. Furthermore, it’s even more notable considering that the originalMoanawas released in 2016. Given its ongoing success eight years later in 2024, this does potentially serve as a pretty strong indicator of how wellMoana 2might perform at the box office.WhileMoana 2was originally developed as a seriesthat would have gone directly to streaming on Disney+, the decision was made to pivot and make the project a film with a theatrical movie release, a decision that certainly looks like it will pay off quite well.
Moana’s Popularity On Streaming Is A Good Sign For Moana 2’s Box Office Potential
It’s Got A Pretty Big Fan Base
The fact thatMoanahas achieved and maintained such impressive engagement on streaming is huge. It speaks to the size of the original film’s large fanbase, as well as its widespread appeal to families, many of whom have likely watchedMoanamultiple times in the years since its release and the release of Disney+ three years later in 2019. To that end, one can logically assume that the excitement and interest inMoana 2could become just as big.
Moana 2: Everything You Need To Know
Managing to outdo the extremely popular first film, Disney’s Moana 2 is already one of the studio’s most successful sequels of all time.
Considering how much rewatch value and ongoing engagement the firstMoanahas accrued over streaming, one would hope that the sequel will be able to similarly capture the same levels of engagement from the fanbase at the movie theater.To that end, some fans will likely go seeMoana 2more than once, assuming it’s received well, which would naturally help its overall performance at the box office. That said, buying a ticket and making the trip to the theater will always require more time, effort, and investment from the consumer, as opposed to just turning on the Disney+ app and sitting on the couch at home.
There’s More Data To Suggest Moana 2 Could Beat Inside Out 2 At The Box Office
Moana’s Ticket Presales Are Quite Impressive
That said, another key statistic suggests that going to seeMoana 2in theaters is indeed being seen as a worthwhile investment in the eyes of several consumers and their families ahead of its theatrical release. It’s recently been reported thatMoana 2has sold more first-day advance ticket sales than any animated movie in 2024. This means that thatMoana 2has even surpassed the pre-ticket sales forInside Out 2, the highest-grossing animated movie of all time and eighth highest-grossing movie in general, ahead of 2015’sJurassic Worldand just behind 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Likewise, AMC CEO Adam Aron has also projected thatMoana 2will likely do better thanInside Out 2at the box office,having stated that “people in the know” have informed him thatMoana 2will likely outperformInside Out 2. Based on those pre-ticket sales,Moana 2is currently projected to earn close to $135 million in its opening weekend. That’s a pretty good sign consideringInside Out 2’sopening weekend saw the movie earning around $154.2 million.
Will Moana 2 Actually Beat Inside Out 2 At The Box Office?
There’s At Least A Chance
When looking at the originalMoana’sstreaming data and the pre-ticket sales numbers forMoana 2, it does seem like the upcoming sequel at least has a chance to surpassInside Out 2. That being said, the firstInside Outmade $858.8 million worldwide, while the firstMoanaearned $687.2 million. That may suggest that the Pixar franchise might ultimately be the more popular of the two, at least when it comes to theatrical releases.
“While the odds may still be arguably against it,Moana 2could certainly surprise people and surpassInside Out 2…”
It’s also worth noting that bothGladiator IIandWickedare set to release on November 22nd, only five days beforeMoana 2makes its premiere (making for a very crowded release schedule). In comparison,Inside Out 2had far less blockbuster competition when it was released back in June. That said,Moana 2has the unique advantage of being the newest release when kids are out of school and families are looking for things to do during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend.While the odds may still be arguably against it,Moana 2could certainly surprise people and surpassInside Out 2, especially if it’s received as well as the first film was.
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.
