Moana 2
The animated sequel,Moana 2, has reached a new financial milestone that has allowed an impressive box office record that has lasted six years to continue for Walt Disney Studios.
The much anticipated sequel to the 2016 phenomenon, continues the adventures of the wayfinder, Moana, as she is called on another mission by her ancestors to find the lost island of Motufetu and fight the storm god, Nalo.Moana 2’s voice castincludes Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprising their iconic roles of Moana and Maui, respectively, and introduces new characters voiced by Hualalai Chung, David Fane and Rose Matafeo.
Released over Thanksgiving 2024, the movie has been cited as a strong and believable sequel, withMoana 2’s Rotten Tomatoes scoresshowing that critics and audiences enjoyed it as much as they did the original movie.
The sequel received praise from critics forits catchy soundtrack, animation and voice performances; it was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globesand has received five nominations at the Annie Awards.
The sequel’s success is also highlighted throughMoana 2’sbox office drawsand has allowed Disney to continue a financial trend that started in 2019.
Moana 2 Is Disney’s 4th Consecutive Animated Sequel To Make $1 Billion
It Is The 4th Sequel In Six Years To Reach The $1 Billion Milestone
According toBox Office Mojo,Moana 2has grossed more than $1 billion at the box office and finished off 2024 as the third-highest grossing movie of the year, behindInside Out 2andDeadpool & Wolverine.
This proved to be a great financial success for Walt Disney Studios, consideringtheir original plans to releaseMoana 2for streamingon Disney+.
The sequel’s financial milestone has resulted inMoana 2becoming the fourth consecutive animated sequel released by Disney in five years to earn $1 billion at the box office.
Disney Animated Sequels 20182024
Year of Release
Movie Title
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Box Office Results
2018
Incredibles 2
93%
$1.243 billion
Ralph Breaks the Internet
88%
$529.3 million
2019
Toy Story 4
97%
$1.074 billion
Frozen II
77%
$1.453 billion
2024
Inside Out 2
91%
$1.699 billion
61%
$1.012 billion
Moana 2has also become the fifth Disney sequel released across a span of six years to reach the $1 billion milestone, continuing a trend started byToyStory4in 2019.
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.
Disney and Pixar’sIncredibles 2, released in 2018, also achieved this feat, makingRalphBreakstheInternetthe only theatrically released Disney sequel in six years not to hit the $1 billion mark.
According toDeadline, the financial success of bothInside Out 2 and Moana 2has contributed to Walt Disney Studios becoming the first studio to gross more than $5 billion worldwide since 2019.
The Box Office Trend Proves Why Disney Keeps Making Animated Sequels
Disney Sequels Are Shown To Be Even More Successful Than The Original Movies
In recent years,Walt Disney Studios has turned its focus on a new sequel trendto help with the company’s financial results with animated movies.
Disney animated sequels which are theatrically released, are shown to have been even more financially successful than their predecessors, as seen withFrozen 2,Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4andInsideOut2.Moana2has now also joined this trend, withits $1 billion box office results surpassing the original movie’s intake of $687.2 million.
Moanas demigod status and talents make her Disneys most powerful princess, even against Tangled and Frozen heroines, Elsa and Rapunzel.
Walt Disney Studios has had a difficult few years in terms of major success with original animated movies; releases such asRayaandtheLastDragon,Wish,Strange World, andElementalunder-performed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.
The impressive results ofMoana 2highlightWalt Disney Animation Studios' new focus on making sequelsfor franchises that have higher rates with critics and viewers rather than creating new movies.
The box office trend continued byMoana 2shows a rise for the company that, withDisney’s upcoming sequels schedule,could achieve further future success.
Sources:Box Office Mojo,Deadline
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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.
