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The original Moana film was released on November 23, 2016. Upon its debut, it captivated audiences with its story about the titular Polynesian princess, who embarks on a daring voyage to save her island. With themes of empowerment and self-discovery, the film also showcased beautiful animation and a memorable soundtrack, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and others.
The original Moana film went on to gross over $687 million globally and was celebrated as one of Disney’s most successful animated features in recent history.
Credit: Disney
Related: Disney Announces THREE New ‘Moana’ Projects
Scheduled for release on November 27, 2024, Moana 2 takes viewers on a new adventure three years after the events of the first film. This time, Moana receives an unexpected call from her ancestors, which compels her to set sail into the vast and dangerous seas of Oceania. The sequel introduces Moana’s little sister, Simea, who viewers are sure to love!
In addition to welcoming new characters, Moana 2 will also feature a formidable new villain who presents unique challenges for Moana and her companions. The beloved characters from the original film, such as Maui, voiced again by Dwayne Johnson, and Hei Hei the rooster, return, ensuring that fans will see familiar faces amidst the exciting new story elements.
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The anticipation surrounding Moana 2 suggests it could outperform its predecessor in box office returns. Analysts project a Thanksgiving opening weekend box office take between $125 million and $135 million.
According to a report from Deadline, AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron expressed his excitement about Disney’s newest film, Moana 2, which he thinks can vault the theaters into success after a serious fall slump.
“Some people in the know are telling me that Moana 2 could eclipse and outshine even the success of Inside Out 2,” he beamed. By the way, Inside Out 2 is the highest-grossing movie YTD stateside with $652.9M. The Pixar sequel opened to $154.2M, the second-highest opening of the year behind Disney’s own Deadpool & Wolverine from Marvel Studios ($211.4M).
Recent six-week-in-advance projections from tracking service Quorum put Moana 2 at $100 million-plus during the five-day Thanksgiving Wednesday-Sunday frame and $75M-$82M over Friday-Sunday. The first Moana in 2016 opened to $82M over five days, ultimately grossing $248.7M stateside.
Credit: Disney
Related: Live-Action ‘Moana’ Set to Break Longstanding Disney Tradition
The holiday movie market is particularly competitive this year, with Moana 2 facing off against significant releases such as Wicked and Gladiator II, both set to premiere shortly before Thanksgiving.
Originally conceived as a Disney+ series, Moana 2 transitioned into a theatrical release following the positive response during the early development stages. The film is directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, bringing together a notable creative team committed to bringing Moana’s next chapter to life.
Credit: Disney
In addition to Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, Moana 2 will also star Alan Tudyk as the voice of Hei Hei. Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda will play Simea,
Temuera Morrison will be the voice of Moana’s father, Chief Tui, and Rachel House is the voice of Gramma Tala.
Will you be heading to the theater during the Thanksgiving holiday to watch Moana 2? What Disney sequel film is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
