Moana 2 Breaks Post-Holiday Box Office Records

As the holiday season continues, Moana 2 has dominated the box office, taking in nearly $455 million globally by the end of its first week. The sequel to the beloved Disney animated film is poised for another record-breaking weekend, with projected domestic ticket sales of $60 million or more, pushing its global total well beyond expectations. Early estimates suggest Moana 2 will gross at least $570 million worldwide by the end of Sunday, with some projections even suggesting the total could reach between $575 million and $580 million, thanks to its consistent overperformance since its Thanksgiving debut.

The film’s success is not just confined to global numbers. Moana 2 is expected to surpass Frozen 2’s 2019 post-Thanksgiving weekend earnings, which were approximately $35 million, setting a new record for the highest grossing December opening weekend in cinema history. This marks another milestone in Moana 2’s path to success, continuing to break records in its second weekend. The film’s strong performance is further amplified by the fact that Wicked, a major Broadway adaptation, is also outperforming expectations and will likely top Frozen 2’s December weekend record. With Moana 2 leading the pack, Wicked is set to become the second highest-grossing film for the early December period, though it will still be trailing Moana 2 by a significant margin.

Despite Wicked overtaking Moana 2 for a brief period during the mid-week, Moana 2 remains on top, expected to pull in around $60 million in North America. International markets are equally strong, with $65 million projected from existing territories and an additional $10-15 million expected from Japan and Hong Kong, which are seeing the film’s debut this weekend. These new international markets should further bolster Moana 2’s impressive global tally, which could reach an eye-popping $590 million by the end of the weekend. The optimistic low-end projection for the film’s global total is around $575 million, which still marks a major achievement for Disney.

The film’s solid overseas performance is key to its continued success, with North America and international markets roughly matching in terms of earnings. Japan and Hong Kong are expected to contribute significantly to its international haul, making up for any potential dip in other markets. If these markets perform as predicted, Moana 2 could easily exceed expectations, further solidifying its place as one of the year’s top performers.

Although the film’s success so far is nothing short of impressive, there is still some uncertainty about its future prospects. While Moana 2 has already claimed several key records and is set to benefit from a strong holiday season, it may struggle to surpass Inside Out 2 in the race for the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Despite the film’s strong momentum, particularly in North America, competition is heating up. Upcoming releases, such as The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as Sony’s Kraven the Hunter, could steal some attention away from Moana 2 during the middle of December, impacting its long-term box office potential.

The real challenge will come when Sony’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King are released on December 20th. These high-profile family films are expected to dominate the box office during the peak of the holiday season, which could siphon off a significant portion of the audience that has been fueling Moana 2’s success. Despite this, there is still a chance for Moana 2 to remain a top contender in the top five films through the Christmas season, especially if the holiday movie rush lifts all family-oriented films to higher earnings.

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Moana 2 will match Inside Out 2 for the title of the highest-grossing film of 2024, though it will still perform exceptionally well. The competition in the family movie sector is fierce, and the upcoming releases from Disney, particularly Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King, will likely eat into the momentum that Moana 2 has enjoyed thus far. Even so, Moana 2 remains a major player and is still expected to gross over $1 billion globally before its theatrical run ends.

Despite its potential to fall short of some of the more ambitious box office predictions, Disney is unlikely to be disappointed with Moana 2’s final tally. The film is competing with other Disney projects for top spots, including Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Mufasa: The Lion King. Given the dominance of Disney titles in 2024, the competition remains within the same family of franchises, which bodes well for their long-term success. Even if Moana 2 does not top the year’s box office charts, it will still be considered a massive success for Disney Animation.

Looking ahead, Moana 2 is set to continue its strong performance through the holiday season, with expectations for a final total near or above $1 billion. Regardless of how the box office battle shakes out, the film has firmly cemented itself as one of the year’s biggest hits. The coming weeks will provide a clearer picture of where Moana 2 lands among the top films of 2024, but one thing is for sure — Disney’s latest animated hit is not slowing down anytime soon. Stay tuned for more updates as the film continues to break records and captivate audiences worldwide.