Disney’s Moana 2 has achieved a significant milestone, further solidifying its status as a huge hit. This sequel to the 2016 animated sensation follows the adventures of Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) as she assembles a crew and embarks on a new journey alongside the demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). The movie features an impressive voice cast that also includes Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, and Alan Tudyk.
Moana 2 made a splash with its release just before U.S. Thanksgiving, recording a remarkable $139.8 million domestic debut during that weekend. According to Variety, the movie has now reached a worldwide box office total of $882.5 million. Not only has it surpassed the $850 million milestone, a feat accomplished by only 92 other films in cinema history, but it’s also expected to cross the coveted $1 billion mark worldwide in early 2025. If it does so, it will become the fourth Walt Disney Animation Studios movie to reach that extraordinary height, joining the ranks of Zootopia ($1.02 billion), Frozen ($1.29 billion), and Frozen II ($1.45 billion).
What this means for Moana 2 is that it’s already in an elite category. Even without hitting the $1 billion mark, it has firmly established itself as a smash success. With a reported budget of $150 million, its break-even point was likely around $375 million, a figure it has long surpassed. However, reaching $1 billion would elevate it to an even more remarkable position. Generally, considering that theaters take half of ticket sales and marketing costs aren’t included in production budgets, movies need to earn at least two and a half times their budgets to break even.
Disney has an extensive list of billion-dollar releases across its various brands, which now include 20th Century Studios, Marvel Studios, and Pixar. From the 2016 Pixar sequel Finding Dory ($1.025 billion) to the 2024 hit Inside Out 2 ($1.698 billion), and even several $2 billion hits like Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens ($2.056 billion), Avengers: Infinity War ($2.048 billion), and Avengers: Endgame ($2.748 billion), Moana 2 would be the company’s 28th billion-dollar success overall.
The Moana 2 box office performance shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s quite astonishing to think that Moana 2 was initially planned as a Disney+ show. The studio’s decision to turn it into a theatrical release has clearly reaped huge rewards and could potentially prompt a significant shift in how Disney approaches the development of its exclusive streaming properties, especially those related to the valuable theatrical IP of Walt Disney Animation Studios. This success story of Moana 2 serves as a reminder of the potential power and profitability of well-executed animated features on the big screen.
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