Warning: This article contains spoilers for Moana 2.
At the end of November 2024,Moana 2premiered to incredible success, which is not only a positive for Disney, but also raises the stakes for the rest of the company’s upcoming sequels. Eight years after the release ofMoana,Disney finally releasedMoana 2,which sees the return of the titular seafaring young womanas she is sent on a new quest. In particular, Moana is given the mission to raisean island called Motufetuin order to reconnect all the islands surrounding her home. Alongside Maui and some new friends, Moana takes on her biggest task yet.
It has only been a few weeks sinceMoana 2’srelease, yet the movie is a clear hit. On a budget of $150 million, the movie has grossed $606 million at the box office. Furthermore, the film has a 61% critics score and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In this way,Moana 2has almost completely lived up to the expectations set byMoana,which earned $687 million and scored 95% on RT. Altogether,Moana 2’sbox officecan be considered a success for Disney after a year of amazing releases likeInside Out 2andDeadpool & Wolverine.
Moana 2’s Success Puts A Lot Of Pressure On Disney’s Next Big Sequels
How Moana 2 Compares To Other Disney Sequels
AlthoughMoana 2’ssuccess is a definite win for Disney, it also raises the bar for the company.The next Disney sequels are going to have to be just as lucrative asMoana 2if they want to be memorable. In general, Disney is a powerful company, but even they can release flops or go through low moments. 2023, in particular, was an ebb for Disney. Movies likeElemental, Haunted Mansion,andWishdidn’t do nearly as well as was hoped. Thus, 2025 and beyond need to keep up the momentum that this year created.
Films likeThe Hunchback of Notre Dame IIorMulan IItried to capitalize on their first films' success, yet ended up being swept under the rug with far less critical acclaim and minimal box office earnings.
In the past,Disney’s animated sequelshave been major steps down from their original movies. Films likeThe Hunchback of Notre Dame IIorMulan IItried to capitalize on their first films' success, yet ended up being swept under the rug with far less critical acclaim and minimal box office earnings. Yet, in recent years,Disney has turned their sequels from straight-to-video flops to massive theater experiences.Moana 2is clear proof of that. This makes it even more pivotal that Disney continues their streak of strong blockbuster sequels.
Moana 2 Teases A Larger Universe That Disney Could Return To
One element ofMoana 2that makes it even more important is the way it ends.At the end ofMoana 2,Moana raises Motufetu, allowing the islands to reconnect. This implies that, apart from Moana’s Motunui, there are a number of other islands in this world.Considering Moana’s curiosity about the ocean, there is little doubt that she would be eager to meet the othersliving around her. Plus, Moana’s new status as a demigoddess makes it even more probable that she will travel beyond the boundaries of her home to discover the power of her world.
Moana 2 Complicates The Franchise’s Best Future & Copying Disney’s $2.7 Billion Series
Moana and Simea’s bond echoes Disney’s most popular sisters, although Moana 2’s demigod twist creates a problem for the future of the dynamic.
Moana 2sets up an incredible world by the movie’s end, which makes the future of the franchise all the more exciting.Moana 3has the potential to raise the stakes even higher. On top of that, if Disney’s next sequels fail,the company can still rely onMoanato be a winner among critics and audiences. However, this can also become an issue for Disney. WhileMoanais a beloved IP, too much of it could be disastrous. If the franchise can’t live up to its own expectations, then Disney could find itself in a very tough spot.
What Disney Sequels Are Most Likely To Be Successful
Young Elsa and Anna in Frozen.
To understand whether Disney can live up to the success ofMoana 2,it’s important to explore what Disney sequels are coming out in the next year or two.The next Disney sequel to come out isZootopia 2in November 2025. Following that, there isToy Story 5in June 2026 andFrozen 3in November 2027. Though Disney is behind other “sequel” type movies likeMufasa: The Lion KingandTron: Ares,these feel more like spinoffs than sequels, which makes their success less pivotal. Plus, anticipation isn’t nearly as high for these films as forFrozen 3.
Frozen 3
November 2027
Currently,the odds of Disney’s upcoming sequels doing well at the box office are quite high.Zootopiagrossed over $1 billion in 2016, meanwhileToy StoryandFrozenhave been some of Disney’s highest earners over the past decade. In fact,Frozen IIisDisney’s third-highest-grossing animated movieof all time, at $1.4 billion. Because of this, it seems likely that these upcoming sequels will do very well financially, especially if their stories are good. Ultimately, it would take a seriously poor plot for any of these movies to become flops.
Disney Needs To Continue Growing From Moana 2’s Success
Disney’s Box Office Prospects Look Positive
In the end,Moana 2’s$600 billion success is a sign that Disney is on an upward climb and needs to maintain this power. As much as this is a risky position for Disney, it is also an exciting time.Disney has a shocking number of popular IPs under its belt, and audiences are guaranteed to get some amazing moviesin the near and far future. Sequels are far from being Disney’s most important content, but they will certainly put a dent in Disney’s overall success, and right now, the odds are looking good.
The most significant clue as to Disney’s continued success is the fact that,this year, Disney broke their own record for highest-grossing animated movie.Inside Out 2is now the company’s most lucrative property, raking in $1.69 billion at the box office. IfInside Out 2,a sequel, can break Disney’s financial records, then it seems likely that Disney’s upcoming movies can continue earning more and more money. In fact, it might even be a sequel that does this. So,Moana 2is just one stepping stone on a road of incredible success for Disney.
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.
