Moana 2 has officially entered the Top 30 on the all-time domestic box office chart, surpᴀssing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a $453.9 million total. Following up on the success of 2016’s Moana, the sequel follows Moana’s journey to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her ancestors. Moana 2’s voice cast sees Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their respective voice roles as Moana and Maui, and features other voice talent from Rose Matafeo, David Fane, and Awhimai Fraser.

According to The Numbers, Moana 2 opened to $139.7 million domestically and has shown strong week-to-week retention since. With $453.9 million earned in North America, the sequel is now among the highest-grossing animated films ever released. By surpᴀssing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which grossed $453.8 million domestically in its full run, Moana 2 has entered a new tier of box office success at number 29 on the all-time domestic charts.

What This Means For Moana 2’s Box Office Standing

Moana 2 Has Become A Resounding Success

With a $453.9 million domestic total, Moana 2 is one of the highest-grossing films of 2024 and of all-time. Against a budget of $150 million, the film performed well in both North America and international markets, particularly in France and the UK. Its box office numbers place it among Disney’s most successful animated films, surpᴀssing the domestic totals of The Lion King (1994), which earned $423.9 domestically, and Toy Story 4, which earned $434 million domestically. Compared to the first film, which earned $248.7 million domestically, Moana 2 just comes short of earning double that amount.

Furthermore, surpᴀssing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks a major achievement given the latter’s box office impact in 2022. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever grossed $453.8 million domestically over its full theatrical run, but Moana 2 moves past it in the cumulative ranking due to how box office records are tracked. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened to $181 million, whereas Moana 2’s aforementioned $139.7 million performance was slower during its opening.

Compared to other 2024 releases, Moana 2 has outperformed many major live-action and other animated films. It has surpᴀssed the domestic totals of animated films like Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193.5M) and Despicable Me 4 ($361M). Other films released around the same time, such as Dune: Part Two ($282.7M) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196.8M), also had strong box office runs, but Moana 2’s box office performance demonstrates animation’s continued ability to compete with live-action tentpoles.

Our Take On Moana 2’s Box Office Success

Moana 2 Proves Sequels Can Outperform the Original

Moana 2 reaching the Top 30 all-time domestic box office list speaks to the franchise’s appeal and Disney’s ability to draw audiences back to theaters with an animated sequel. While the industry continues to navigate evolving theatrical trends, Moana 2 proves that animated sequels can still achieve mᴀssive box office success. And though not yet officially ordered by Disney, a Moana 3 seems all the more likely given the success of the first two movies.

Source: The Numbers