Moana 2 has finally entered theaters. This Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson-led Disney animated feature continues from 2016’s Moana, where this Polynesian princess ventures to the seas once again in hopes of connecting with other people outside her home. Now, the opening numbers for this latest film have come out, as not only is it pulling numbers domestically, but internationally as well.
Deadline reported that Moana 2 secured $8.8 million upon its international release, where $3.7 million of that box office revenue came from France. This makes it the 2nd biggest animated opening of all time, behind The Incredibles 2, and the biggest opening day of the year for that country. Following them is Indonesia, bringing in $2.1 million, then South Korea with $1.1 million. It seems that these international opening box office numbers could be higher as Mumbrella reported that in Australia, the sequel generated $1.76 million on its Thursday opening, making it the “highest grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios opening day of all time” and is the second-highest opening day of 2024, just behind Deadpool & Wolverine.
Alongside its international success, Moana 2 has also made an impression domestically as well, pulling $57 million in the U.S. As of writing, Moana 2has a reported worldwide box office total of $66.3 million and that’s expected to increase post-Thanksgiving and the weekend. While this sequel pulls numbers in box office revenue, the waters seem to be calm in terms of review scores as it currently sits on average 66 percent critics’ score and a high 87 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Do We Know About The ‘Moana’ Live-Action Film?
Normally, Disney would reserve its live-action adaptations if a project is deemed a classic, but it seems the Walt Disney Company couldn’t wait and has announced that Moana is next in line to receive the live-action treatment.
With a scheduled release date of July 10, 2026, the project was announced by Johnson in 2023, with Thomas Kali (Hamilton) set to direct. Johnson will be reprising his role as the demigod, Maui, while Catherine Lagaʻaia is cast to play Moana. Other names attached to the project include John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen.
Back in July, Johnson announced that production for this live-action feature began in August. Meanwhile, Screenrant reported that production in Hawaii wrapped in November. Moana 2 is now showing in theaters. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.
