Why Moana 2 Blew Everyone Away At The Box Office

What can theater owners say to Disney except, "You're welcome?" November has been very good to the mega blockbuster this year, and nowhere is that more evident than in the case of "Moana 2." Escaping the fate of becoming a Disney+ sequel, the movie has raked in millions and millions for Disney and movie theaters everywhere over the Thanksgiving weekend. In the end, the sequel has established itself as one of the studio's strongest hits since "Inside Out 2" proved to be an enormous blockbuster this past summer, breaking out of the box office doldrums the company's been suffering through. 

But just what made Moana's (Auli'i Cravalho) journey so compelling this time? Was it the careful maturation process the character goes through during her sequel? Did audiences simply want to revisit her family and friends, including the lovable demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson)? Is it the fun line-up of toe-tapping songs? Or can we simply chalk up the popularity of "Moana 2" to it being a big family film released during the holidays? Here's why "Moana 2" was such a huge success, entertaining families worldwide with its bombastic sense of joy and musical creativity. 

As the holiday approached, it became pretty clear that this one was going to be a big hit right out of the gate. Presales for "Moana 2" were pacing close to "Inside Out 2's" earlier in the year, pulling in $135 million the first day they went on sale. Those numbers proved to be a promise fulfilled, resulting in the sequel's titanic Thanksgiving weekend take.

The film promptly broke preview records and marked a Disney best for a Thanksgiving Tuesday, beating "Ralph Breaks The Internet" (which made $3.8 million). "Moana 2" earned $13.8 million from its Tuesday showings alone, slightly better than what "Inside Out 2" pulled in during its previews — that movie made $13 million, flat. This was a huge, early hint that "Moana 2" was going to outpace "Inside Out 2" and become Disney's most successful animated offering of the year, and then some.

Then came the Thanksgiving weekend box office, where "Moana 2" went from strength to strength. The movie took in $225.2 million domestically from Wednesday through Sunday, earning $57.5 million on Wednesday, $28 million on Thursday, $54.5 million on Friday, $50.5 million on Saturday, and $30.5 million on Sunday. What's more, the animated sequel is now the record holder for the biggest domestic opening weekend ever and, when combined with "Gladiator II" and "Wicked," contributed to the largest Thanksgiving weekend box office in history. Internationally, it made $163.8 in total, resulting in a global result that was fairly astounding. The grand total worldwide for "Moana 2" was $389 million, marking the biggest opening for an animated movie ever, besting "The Super Mario Bros. Movie's" 2023 record of $377 million in its opening weekend. "Moana 2" is also within spitting distance of besting the billion-dollar-plus total that "Inside Out 2" pulled during its theatrical run over the next four weeks.

Disney has a penchant for releasing family films that make a lot of dough during the holiday season, and they've ruled over the Thanksgiving weekend box office in particular for years. Hits like "Frozen," "Toy Story 2," "Tangled," "Coco," and the first Moana all ended up raking in record amounts of cash. As a matter of fact, Disney films hold nine out of ten of the slots of all-time best film openings during the season. Is it any wonder that "Moana 2" has joined its predecessors? The equation is simple: Disney movies plus family get-togethers equal big bucks.

The fact that it's a well-reviewed family film is likely a big contributing factor to its success, but how much of the triumph of "Moana 2" is built around the fact that it's a family film opening on Thanksgiving weekend, a time when audiences may be looking to beat back those post-holiday blahs? One can't tell at this point, but the likability of Moana has resulted in an intense popularity that has managed to stir up a whole new generation of fans.

The "Toy Story" films might get all the credit for finally breaking through consumer's antipathy about sequels, but a lot of that is due to its rich cast of characters. Moana and Maui, meanwhile, have become icons as well — and they have the streaming numbers and box office totals to prove it.

To wit: the first movie movie made just nearly $650 million at the worldwide box office. When the film hit Disney+, it quickly became the most popular offering on the entire platform, with fans streaming more than 80 billion minutes of the movie since its debut. That makes it Disney+'s most popular streaming movie of all time and is the sum equivalent of watching "Moana" all the way through from start to finish 748 million times. The end result? All kinds of kids from all over the world love Moana and rushed to theaters when her new movie came out. There's a reason why audiences aren't a hundred percent in approval of the new "Moana" live-action movie; they like the animated universe as it is.

"Moana 2" is so aware of Moana's popularity among kids that it has an in-joke about their existence — the "Moana-Bes," a group of young girls who dress like her and even have a pet pig that looks like a surlier Pua. It's a knowing nod to all of the girls who have come to idolize Moana thanks to her theatrical and streaming success. The fact that two out of three of the "Moana-Bes" are voiced by Dwayne Johnson's daughters adds to this all-in-the-family feeling.

The critics were generally happy with the sequel. While some reactions — including Looper's own "Moana 2" review – complain that the film rehashes too much of "Moana," over 60% of Rotten Tomatoes' certified critics have given the movie a positive score at the time of this writing. While that's way down from the 95% freshness rating of the original movie, it's still a positive score that shows the curious and the skeptical that the movie might be worthwhile. The audience score is a bit higher — at an 87% positive as of this writing — which means that moviegoers love it more than the critics. To wit, the movie's CinemaScore rating was an A-, which means it may continue to be buoyed by positive word of mouth in the weeks ahead.

And the film definitely needed those audience and critical plaudits. The "Moana 2" marketing campaign had "Moana" and Disney fans complaining it was subdued at best and lackluster at worst, especially compared to direct family musical rival "Wicked," which also blew away box office expectations. But these reviews and word of mouth act as a counterblast, clearly benefitting "Moana 2" and leading to its stellar numbers.

"Moana" sported a lot of sing-along-friendly hits, including "You're Welcome," a showcase for Maui, and "How Far I'll Go," Moana's "I want" song, tunes sporting lyrics from well-feted lyricist and Broadway icon Lin-Manuel Miranda. But this time out, Disney chose to bring on some new folks to write the lyrics while keeping musicians Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i, who wrote the music for the original film. Those lyricists are Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow, who first attained fame through TikTok and their "What if Bridgerton Was a Musical?" series of videos.

The twosome's youthful point of view definitely puts a fresh spin on Moana's world, from the Motown-ready "Get Lost" to Maui's big number, "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?" All of the songs feel fresh, new, and wonderfully alive in a way that's different from Miranda's work. "Moana 2's music gives it an entirely new identity that makes it completely unalike "Moana," further contributing to the sequel's success. 

Little kids aren't the only people who have kept the spirit of "Moana" alive. Young ones who saw the first movie in 2016 are now eight years older, and as teenagers or young adults, they're likely heading to "Moana 2" for the nostalgia factor. Emotionally attached to the character though they might be, some of them may also be bringing their own children to "Moana 2." Whether it's about sharing the experience with a relative or satisfying the urge to meet up with old, beloved friends, they're happy to revisit the past — and discovering that Moana has grown up alongside them.

Moana herself has blossomed into an adult between the first and second film; no longer sixteen, she's a co-chieftain of her people and a Wayfinder. That's why she looks so different in "Moana 2" compared to how she looked in the original. The movie does its best to move with those changes and focus in on how hard it is to be an adult with authority at your fingertips. It's an excellent example of the movie's willingness to stick with what worked from "Moana" while still taking risks and being brave with other portions of the story. The sum total of it is a growing-up story that virtually anyone can relate to, something that helped compel the character's fanbase to head back to the movies for this new adventure.

"Moana 2" is all about taking its characters into uncharted waters – literally. So it's no wonder the titular character doesn't end up exploring them with just Heihei (Alan Tudyk), Maui, and Pui this time. Instead, she's joined by a full cast of brand-new co-stars who become her sailing crew: Moni (Hualālai Chung), who adores Maui to the point of fawning over him; farmer Kele (David Fane), the eldest of the crew, who would really just love to rest; and intelligent craftswoman Loto (Rose Matafeo) are of disparate ages, sizes, and goals, but they all contribute fresh things to the sequel's narrative. They help Moana in ways that Maui couldn't, and even though her closest ally is the one who ends up saving her life in the end, without them, she would never get as far as she does.

And they aren't the only new faces. Villainess Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) provides another complex villain for Moana to tame, while her rambunctious little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) adds a new, hilarious twist to her sister's island adventures. They all combine to make the animated sequel more than just another retread.

In spite of all of the new characters in "Moana 2," there's still plenty of familiarity in the sequel. While Disney may have gotten brave and tried new approaches to the songs and even parts of her journey, some things remain evergreen — including much of the movie's voice cast. Besides Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, and Auli'i Cravalho, Temuera Morrison is back as Moana's father, Tui; Nicole Scherzinger is once again voicing Sina, Moana's mother; and Rachel House returns as Tala, Moana's late grandmother, who is now a giant manta ray. None of the main cast of the first movie have been replaced, and everyone has returned to voice their characters once again. Morrison even does his own singing in "Moana 2" after being dubbed in the original film.

All of this creates a sense of comfort for the viewer and maintains a known level of quality. It's definitely not Dan Castellaneta taking over for Robin Williams as Genie in the Aladdin direct-to-DVD and series levels of Disney sequel voice casting. It also likely drew audiences to the theaters; after all, there's nothing better than the original.

Might a whole fresh generation of Wayfinders emerge from "Moana 2?" While the titular heroine gains all-new abilities after dying and being revived by her ancestors in "Moana 2," the future of the franchise may lie in her three-year-old sister, Simea. Shown to be an avid adventurer and more playful than her older sibling, it's quite possible that the franchise's future rests upon her shoulders. Disney loves stories about sisters — after all, it allows them to craft stories around two princesses instead of one most of the time — so it's not shocking that a lot of the early part of the movie revolves around Simea and Moana's connection. "Moana 2" allows Simea to grow up enough to have her own personality, which means that she might end up embarking on her own adventures if "Moana 3" ever comes about.

Much of the movie's press and at least one preview clip focus on Simea, and it's likely at least some little kids went to the movie just to see someone their own size bump up against the forces of evil. The character definitely promotes the growth of the franchise and is a huge boon to "Moana 2."

What's the most frequent complaint Disney fans have about "Moana 2?" That the movie had next to no marketing. That's a shocking statement to make about a Disney movie, but if one compares it to the extensive press blitz attached to "Wicked," which premiered just a week earlier, it feels surprisingly accurate.

While there were a few commercials, online ads, and some magazine interviews, there wasn't an advertising blitz that had Moana selling Lunchables or Hertz Rent-A-Cars. That makes the box office triumph of "Moana 2" all the more interesting. Clearly, audiences didn't need an enormous press tour featuring Dwayne Johnson in full movie star mode to turn out in droves. That speaks highly of how much trust the audience puts in Disney and the "Moana" brand in general.

Of course, the movie isn't some sort of obscure independent release made good; it's still a Disney film with all of the benefits inherent in those words. But it's still something worth marveling over, all the same.

What sort of special, fresh thing did "Moana 2" bring to the theater compared to competition like "Wicked" and "Gladiator?" Any animation fan worth their salt knows that the best Disney movies know how to punch you right in the heart right before or after making you laugh, something no other movie company knows how to do on such a consistent basis. "Moana 2" keeps up that tradition by giving us plenty of antics with the titular princess and her crew while knowing how to make the audience cry at just the right moment. Like Disney movies of old, it's also not afraid to scare the kids in the crowd, this time with Moana nearly dying and her whole crew ending up trapped on an island for a bit of the movie.

There's plenty of the traditional Disney poignancy in the sequel, including a moment where Tala helps out Moana and her crew, a sequence showcasing an ancestor lighting the way to their heirs' future. It's that total lack of emotional walls that likely helped drive traffic to the theaters; Disney fans know that if they want to feel all of the feelings when watching a movie, they should go to a Disney film, and "Moana 2" is no exception to the rule. That made it a strong option next to fare like "Gladiator II," and while "Wicked" might be well in tune with its emotions, no one brings on the tears and laughter quite like the House of Mouse.

The "Moana" franchise is two for two on introducing unique villainesses who aren't really cruel, but the mystery of the sequel's "big bad" seems to be one of the things that's driving audiences to theaters. The first movie featured Te Fiti and her broken heart, and "Moana 2" has Matangi, the middle-woman for the much more wicked Nalo. While Te Fiti was always secretly a force for gentleness and good, Matangi doesn't even want to be involved in Nalo's mess. She aids Moana and Maui because she wants nothing to do with the villainy she's been forced to commit. That leaves her a reluctant third to Nalo and Tamatoa, creating a whole new dynamic to be explored.

While Matangi has largely been missing from the marketing of "Moana 2" and couldn't have contributed to ticket pre-sales, there's no way her complex villainess arc didn't draw some word-of-mouth buys after Tuesday. She provides such a fresh take on a Disney villain, a company that has never been good at having gray-hatted types steer the way one of their major franchises has gone, but Matangi thrives. With the kind of numbers "Moana 2" did at the box office, we should probably expect to see how things play out for all three characters in the not-yet-greenlit but likely-to-exist at this point "Moana 3." You're welcome, indeed.