Disney’s Moana 2 is on track to make waves over Thanksgiving weekend, with early tracking suggesting a record-breaking domestic debut of $125 million to $135 million across the five-day holiday. Opening Wednesday, November 27, the animated sequel looks set to surpass Disney’s previous Thanksgiving box office record of $93.6 million, held by Frozen. It could challenge the five-day Thanksgiving revenue peak set by Frozen II with $125 million.
This anticipated success arrives during one of the year’s most lucrative moviegoing periods, buoyed by other big releases, including Paramount’s Gladiator II and Universal’s musical epic Wicked. Both of these films debut on November 22 to take advantage of the extended weekend. Analysts expect this combination of anticipated films to drive Thanksgiving box office revenues to new heights—a win for theater owners amid a challenging industry climate.
Moana 2 builds on the lasting appeal of the original 2016 Moana, which grossed over $687 million globally and remained the most streamed movie in 2023, according to Nielsen. The sequel’s storyline takes Moana on a thrilling journey into uncharted waters, with returning voice talent Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film also features new music from songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter