The animated sequel, Moana 2, has reached a new financial milestone that has allowed an impressive box office record that has lasted six years to continue for Walt Disney Studios. The much anticipated sequel to the 2016 phenomenon, continues the adventures of the wayfinder, Moana, as she is called on another mission by her ancestors to find the lost island of Motufetu and fight the storm god, Nalo. Moana 2‘s voice cast includes Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprising their iconic roles of Moana and Maui, respectively, and introduces new characters voiced by Hualālai Chung, David Fane and Rose Matafeo.

Released over Thanksgiving 2024, the movie has been cited as a strong and believable sequel, with Moana 2‘s Rotten Tomatoes scores showing that critics and audiences enjoyed it as much as they did the original movie. The sequel received praise from critics for its catchy soundtrack, animation and voice performances; it was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globes and has received five nominations at the Annie Awards. The sequel’s success is also highlighted through Moana 2’s box office draws and has allowed Disney to continue a financial trend that started in 2019.

Moana 2 Is Disney’s 4th Consecutive Animated Sequel To Make $1 Billion

It Is The 4th Sequel In Six Years To Reach The $1 Billion Milestone

According to Box Office Mojo, Moana 2 has grossed more than $1 billion at the box office and finished off 2024 as the third-highest grossing movie of the year, behind Inside Out 2 and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. This proved to be a great financial success for Walt Disney Studios, considering their original plans to release Moana 2 for streaming on Disney+. The sequel’s financial milestone has resulted in Moana 2 becoming the fourth consecutive animated sequel released by Disney in five years to earn $1 billion at the box office.

Moana 2 has also become the fifth Disney sequel released across a span of six years to reach the $1 billion milestone, continuing a trend started by Toy Story 4 in 2019. Disney and Pixar’s Incredibles 2, released in 2018, also achieved this feat, making Ralph Breaks the Internet the only theatrically released Disney sequel in six years not to hit the $1 billion mark. According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, the financial success of both Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 has contributed to Walt Disney Studios becoming the first studio to gross more than $5 billion worldwide since 2019.

The Box Office Trend Proves Why Disney Keeps Making Animated Sequels

Disney Sequels Are Shown To Be Even More Successful Than The Original Movies

In recent years, Walt Disney Studios has turned its focus on a new sequel trend to help with the company’s financial results with animated movies. Disney animated sequels which are theatrically released, are shown to have been even more financially successful than their predecessors, as seen with Frozen 2, Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4 and Inside Out 2. Moana 2 has now also joined this trend, with its $1 billion box office results surpᴀssing the original movie’s intake of $687.2 million.

Walt Disney Studios has had a difficult few years in terms of major success with original animated movies; releases such as Raya and the Last Dragon, Wish, Strange World, and Elemental under-performed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. The impressive results of Moana 2 highlight Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new focus on making sequels for franchises that have higher rates with critics and viewers rather than creating new movies. The box office trend continued by Moana 2 shows a rise for the company that, with Disney’s upcoming sequels schedule, could achieve further future success.

Sources: Box Office Mojo, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline