Disney Animation’s Moana 2, after being initially conceived for Disney+, then switched up for a theatrical release by Disney Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, will finally hit the service on March 12. That’s a 105-day theatrical window.
Disney saw that the original film was a hit on Disney+, and instead of keeping any passion for the sequel contained at home, they brushed up Moana 2 for the big screen to the tune of $458.8M domestic, $1.05 billion worldwide. The wattage from that theatrical result not only awakens the IP’s flame, but extends it across the parks, merchandise as well as the generational appeal for the franchise to come. A smart decision for a studio who once fell in love with theatrical day and date on their movie titles during Covid with Jungle Cruise, Cruella and Black Widow before realizing the moola is in the big screen.
Moana 2 became the No. 3 highest grossing animated movie of 2024 and was the fourth Walt Disney Animation Studio film ever to cross $1 billion after Frozen, Zootopia and Frozen 2.
The sequel left off teasing a third movie. Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho returned for the sequel here. Johnson will be reprising demigod Maui in the live-action take of Moana which is due out in theaters on July 10, 2026.
Disney, thanks to movies like Moana 2, Inside Out 2, Mufasa, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, surpassed $5.46 billion at the global box office last year, the first major studio to do so since 2019.
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