Moana 2 takes advantage of strong winds as it sails ashore.
Walt Disney Animation Studios set records Monday for first-day advance ticket sales, according to online retailer Fandango.
It sold more tickets than any other animated film of 2024, including Disney/Pixar’s summer 2024 blockbuster Inside Out 2. It’s also the fourth-best opening of the year for any film after Deadpool & Wolverine and Wicked and Dune: Part 2. It’s no wonder Why box office censors left Part 2 with its own title: “Moanapocalpyse.”
The picture will be released in theaters on November 27, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and five days after Paramount’s Gladiator II and Universal’s Wicked open in North America. Theater owners are counting on the three expected pillars to support ticket sales after a tough start to the third quarter.
David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana LeDoux Miller directed the animated film, which reunites voice stars Aulli Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The story follows Moana as she embarks on an unexpected adventure in long-lost waters after receiving a call from her ancestors. Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui.
As a testament to Moana’s enduring popularity, the original film, which released in 2016 and grossed $687 million globally, was the most streamed film across all platforms in 2023, according to Nielsen.
Moana 2 was originally developed as a television series before being remade as a theatrical sequel. Moana 2 features new songs by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, and features Christina Chen and Yvette Merino as producers.
The trailer for the film, which was released in late May, was watched by 178 million people in its first 24 hours, which is more than any other trailer for a film in the history of the Disney animation empire, which consists of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. (Moana from Disney Animation.)
Disney and Johnson are also behind Thomas Kail’s live-action version of Moana, which is scheduled to open in theaters on July 10, 2026.
