Sat Nov 30 03:32:38 UTC 2024: ## Moana 2 Shatters Thanksgiving Box Office Records

**Los Angeles, CA** – Disney’s highly anticipated sequel, *Moana 2*, has made a splash at the box office, shattering Thanksgiving records and setting the stage for a potentially massive run. The film, which sees the return of Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, raked in a staggering $57.5 million on Wednesday and $28 million on Thursday, marking the biggest Thanksgiving Day release ever and the biggest opening day for any Walt Disney Animation Studios title.

This impressive performance puts *Moana 2* in third place for biggest animated movie opening day, trailing only *Incredibles 2* and *Inside Out 2*. The Thursday numbers also represent the fourth-biggest Thursday gross for any film, not just animation. Globally, the film has already amassed $109.6 million, with $85.5 million coming from domestic theaters – all before its official opening weekend.

Analysts project *Moana 2* to earn over $225 million across the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, potentially surpassing *Frozen* ($94 million) and *Frozen II* ($125 million) to become the biggest Thanksgiving opening of all time. It’s even in contention for the biggest five-day opening ever, regardless of holiday. For 2024 alone, it’s already the third-biggest opening behind *Deadpool & Wolverine* and *Inside Out 2*.

Despite mixed reviews (65% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the first film’s 95%), audience turnout is exceeding expectations. The film’s origins as a proposed TV series, later adapted into a feature film, may have contributed to some critical negativity. However, the strong box office numbers demonstrate that reviews have had little impact on family audiences.

The success of *Moana 2* builds upon the massive popularity of the original 2016 film, which grossed $643 million worldwide and became Disney’s most successful streaming title on Disney+. This sequel’s performance indicates a strong potential for a third installment and bodes well for the upcoming live-action remake slated for 2026. For Disney Animation, *Moana 2*’s success represents a major rebound after a relatively underwhelming 2023.

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