Reviews for Moana 2 haven't been anywhere near as positive as 2016's Moana but that won't stop people flocking to theaters this Thanksgiving weekend.
The sequel opened with $13.8 million in preview screenings on Tuesday, breaking an impressive box office record. Not only is this by far the biggest preview number ever for a Walt Disney Animation title, but it's also the second biggest haul for any animated feature behind only Pixar's Incredibles 2 (which earned $18.5 million in 2018).
For comparison, Inside Out 2 scored $13 million in Thursday previews earlier this year before scoring a $154 million opening weekend. Toy Story 4 made $12 million in 2019 ahead of a $121 million three-day debut, while Frozen II earned $8.5 million the same year before going on to make $130 million the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Based on current estimates, Moana 2 could rise as high as $135 million - $145 million over its first five days in theaters. That would award it the biggest Thanksgiving holiday haul to date, topping Frozen II's $125 million 5-day gross and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's $109 million in 2013.
The happiest man in Hollywood today is likely Disney CEO Bob Iger; he was the person who decided the Disney+ sequel series should become a movie and, thus far, it's paid off. However, theater owners are also going to be beaming over what promises to be a huge week for them.
Wicked, for example, made an additional $16.6 million on Tuesday and is expected to earn $60 million over the three-day weekend and $80 million over five days. As we write this, the critically acclaimed musical has grossed $144.9 million domestically and $195 million worldwide.
As for Gladiator II, it collected an additional $6.6 million on Tuesday and should make $33 million from Friday to Sunday and $45 million between Wednesday and Sunday. Currently, it sits at $232 million worldwide.
What will you be watching in theaters this Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments section below.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical Moana 2 reunites Moana (voice of Auli'i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
The voice cast also includes Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Hualālai Chung, David Fane, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, who lends her voice to Moana's adoring and adorable little sister, Simea.
Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, Moana 2 features music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. Jared Bush and Miller are writing the film, which is executive produced by Jennifer Lee, Bush and Johnson.
Moana 2 opens in theaters on November 27, 2024.