Back in 2016, Moana made $687.2 million at the global box office, an impressive haul for an original Disney musical.
The animated fantasy adventure set in ancient Polynesia has only grown in popularity over the last eight years on home entertainment.
So it was a no-brainer for company boss Bob Iger to halt the sequel to the Disney+ miniseries and order its transformation into a cinematic movie.
Although Moana 2 was only announced in February for release this November, the gamble has massively paid off, with the film shattering box office records and counting.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moana 2 has broken eight box office records so far.
These are Biggest 5-Day Debut of All Time, Biggest 5-Day Thanksgiving Earner of All Time, Biggest 5-Day Thanksgiving Nationwide Opening, Biggest Global Opening of All Time for An Animated Film, Biggest Walt Disney Animation Three-Day Debut of All Time, Biggest Black Friday Gross of All Time, Biggest Thanksgiving Day Gross of All Time and Biggest Opening Day for a Walt Disney Animation Title.
As it stands, the Disney blockbuster has made $386.3 million worldwide since its release last week, and it’s only the beginning.
Earlier this year, Inside Out 2 made almost $1.7 billion worldwide, becoming not only the eighth highest-grossing film of all time but the most successful animated movie ever made. And now Moana 2 may top that after breaking these eight box office records.
If anything, entering the Top 10 films of all time is pretty much a shoo-in for the Disney sequel, which will undoubtedly get Moana 3 following the set-up in the end credits scene. If that wasn’t enough, the live-action remake of the original film, with The Rock reprising Maui, has wrapped for a 2026 release.
Moana 2 is out now in cinemas.