‘Moana 2’ Achieves Demigod Status: All the Box Office Records Broken

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that the success of Moana 2 at the box office is akin to completing the final level of an epic RPG game. The sheer scale and magnitude of its achievements are truly mind-boggling!

As a gamer, I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the epic journey that is Moana 2. This movie has been breaking box office records left and right ever since its premiere on Thanksgiving night. It’s like being on a non-stop winning streak in my favorite video game!

Over the upcoming holiday, it was expected that Walt Disney Animation’s sequel would debut with a massive opening of $125 million to $135 million over five days (from Wednesday through Sunday). However, the musical family film surpassed expectations, earning an astonishing $221 million across the five-day period, including $135.3 million during the standard three-day weekend. This success was due to a strong desire among fans to see more of the courageous Moana, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, and the demigod Maui, portrayed again by Dwayne Johnson, on their further adventures.

At the Thanksgiving feast, there were blockbusters like Universal’s hit “Wicked” and Paramount’s “Gladiator II”. Together, these three films generated a staggering revenue of $420 million domestically during the holiday season, surpassing the previous record set in 2018 by over $100 million with its $316 million total, as reported by Comscore.

Worldwide, the sequel to Moana, or as some may know it, Moana 2, launched with an impressive earnings of $165.3 million, eventually totaling $386.3 million. It claimed the top spot in nearly every country except China, where it opened at a later date.

Moana’s evolution into a franchise was quite unconventional. The initial film released in 2016 had a steady performance, but it wasn’t extraordinary. The sequel was initially planned as a Disney+ series. However, the 2016 movie unexpectedly turned into a lasting cultural sensation among children and became the most-streamed movie across all platforms in 2023, as reported by Nielsen.

Under the guidance of directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, this sequel finds our young protagonist setting sail on an unforeseen journey through forgotten seas, prompted by a mysterious call from her ancestral lineage. And guess who makes a reappearance? None other than the legendary figure, Maui!

Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, stated that the performance of Moana 2 over the weekend has not only met but exceeded our lofty expectations. This success underscores the popularity and impact that Moana has achieved. We’re grateful to have such a gifted and dedicated creative team at Disney Animation who breathed life into this new journey, along with our outstanding stars Auli‘i and Dwayne Johnson, and fantastic new music. This is a cause for celebration, and we thank all the cinema-goers and fans who contributed to this record-breaking opening weekend.

Below are the records broken so far, according to Disney and Comscore. Grosses are not adjusted for inflation.

Biggest 5-Day Debut of All Time, Period

In November 2024, Moana 2 is projected to earn $221 million. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released in April 2023, made $204 million. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which came out in July 2010, earned $200 million, and its sequel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, released in July 2011, brought in $163 million. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, from July 2009, grossed $158 million.

Biggest 5-Day Thanksgiving Earner All Time by a Mile (Including Holdover Films)

2024 releases: Moana 2 – $221 million, Wicked – $117.5 million, and Frosted II – $125 million.

Biggest 5-Day Thanksgiving Nationwide Opening, By a Mile and Then Some

In 2024, the anticipated release of Moana 2 is expected to earn approximately $221 million at the box office.

Biggest Walt Disney Animation Three-Day Debut of All Time

Moana 2: $135.5 million.
Frozen II: $130.3 million

Biggest Black Friday Gross of All Time

Moana 2: $54.5 million
Frozen II: $34.2 million

Biggest Thanksgiving Day Gross of All Time

Moana 2: $28 million
Frozen II: $15 million

Biggest Opening Day for a Walt Disney Animation Title, And More

Moana 2: $57.5 million
Frozen II: $42.2 million

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got to say that when it comes to animated movie premieres, none have quite managed to outshine the opening day earnings of Moana 2, coming in third only behind Inside Out 2 (boasting an impressive $71.3 million) and Incredibles 2 ($63.6 million), both hailing from Disney’s renowned sister studio Pixar, set to release in 2024 and 2018 respectively.

Foreign Highlights

In simpler terms, the sequel to Moana has had one of the second largest global debuts this year, trailing slightly behind another Disney film featuring Deadpool and Wolverine.

France set the record with an astounding $18.8 million as the largest debut ever for an animated movie in all markets. In key markets like Italy and Brazil, it achieved the second-largest opening weekend for an animated film. Moreover, it holds the top spot for a Walt Disney Animation release across Latin America and in almost 30 individual markets globally, including Australia and Mexico.

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2024-12-01 23:25