The strong winds are benefiting from it Vaiana 2 as he sails towards the shore.
The Walt Disney Animation Studios tentpole set records for first-day advance ticket sales on Monday, according to online retailer Fandango.
It sold more tickets than any other animated film of 2024, including the Disney/Pixar summer 2024 blockbuster Inside out 2. It's also the fourth-best result of the year for any film behind it Deadpool and Wolverine, Evil AND Dune: part 2. (It's no wonder why box office watchers have bequeathed the sequel its special nickname: “Moanapocalpyse.”)
The event pic will be released in theaters on November 27, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and five days after Paramount's Gladiator II and that of Universal Evil opened in North America. Theater owners are counting on the trio of highly anticipated entertainers to bolster ticket sales after a rocky start to the third quarter.
David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller directed the animated film, which reunites voice actors Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The story follows Moana as she embarks on an unexpected adventure into long-lost waters after receiving a calling from her ancestors. Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui.
As a testimony to MoanaThanks to its enduring popularity, the original film, released in 2016 and grossing over $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 reworked as a film sequel. Featuring new songs from Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Moana 2 counts Christina Chen and Yvett Merino as producers.
A trailer for the film released in late May was seen by 178 million people in the first 24 hours, more than any other film trailer in the history of Disney's animated empire, made up of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. (Moana is from Disney Animation.)
Disney and Johnson are also behind the live-action Moana remake by director Thomas Kail which will be released in theaters on July 10, 2026.