"Moana 2" broke all box office records: what makes the cartoon unique

"Moana" was first released in 2016. It is a 3D computer-animated cartoon created by Ron Clements and John Musker. Moana is a 16-year-old daughter of a Polynesian chief who sets out on an ocean voyage in search of Maui, who can bring prosperity back to her island.

The sequel to the animated film made history by earning $221 million in the first days of release, the largest five-day gross ever. Of course, one of the reasons for this is the well-chosen premiere date. The family cartoon was released on the eve of one of the biggest American holidays, Thanksgiving. The details were revealed by the Hollywood Reporter.

On the eve of the holiday, Walt Disney Animation planned to receive a huge amount of 125 to 135 million dollars for a long five-day weekend (Wednesday-Sunday). Instead, the cartoon exceeded all expectations and received $221 million in five days.

Universal's Wicked and Paramount's Gladiator II also became Thanksgiving Day record holders.

At the international box office, Moana 2 started with $165.3 million, and its global gross was $386.3 million.

Moana's path to becoming a franchise was unusual, to say the least. The original 2016 movie was good but not spectacular, and the sequel was originally developed as a Disney+ series.

Directed by David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the sequel follows young Moana, who embarks on an unexpected adventure in long-lost waters after receiving a call from her ancestors. Maui, of course, also makes an appearance.

"Moana 2 far exceeded our high expectations this weekend and has become a true phenomenon. We are fortunate to have the incredibly talented and hardworking creative team at Disney Animation to bring this new adventure to life," said Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.

Below are the records broken to date, according to Disney and Comscore. Grosses are not adjusted for inflation.

Largest 5-day debut

• Moana 2 (November 2024): $221 million;
• The Super Mario Bros. movie (April 2023): $204 million;
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (July 2010): $200 million;
• Transformers 3 - Dark of the Moon (July 2011): $163 million;
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 2009): $158 million.

Highest 5-day grosses on Thanksgiving Day

• Moana 2 (2024): 221 million dollars;
• Frozen II (2019): $125 million;
• Wicked (2024): $117.5 million;
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2010): $110 million;
• Frozen (2013): $93.6 million.

Walt Disney Animation's biggest three-day debut

• Moana 2: $135.5 million;
• Frozen II: $130.3 million.

Among all animated films, "Moana 2" ranks third in terms of premiere after "Inside Out 2" in 2024 ($71.3 million) and "The Incredibles 2" in 2018 ($63.6 million). Both of the latter films were created by Disney's sister studio Pixar.

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