Frozencan quite literally get in the sea becauseMoana 2has officially taken the crown as Disney’s new reigning queen of the Thanksgiving box office. The highly anticipated sequel, which was somehowa television seriesthis time a year ago — featuring the return ofDwayne Johnsonas Maui andAuliʻi Cravalhoas Moana — smashed records left and right in its opening weekend across the globe as audiences flocked to the Pacific Ocean to get sail once again. In case you hadn’t heard, the film is doing incredibly well, with adomestic 5-day haul of $225.2 million, a take of $163.8 million internationally, and afairly impressiveworldwide total of $386.3 million, and that’s good enough forquite a lot of records.
Disney has long dominated Thanksgiving releases, andMoana 2took that tradition to unprecedented heights. The sequel delivered the highest 5-day opening of all time, raking in $225.2 million and obliterating the previous record set byThe Super Mario Bros. Movie($204.6 million). It also claimed the title for the bestThanksgiving weekend debut ever, more than doublingFrozen’s$94 million 5-day opening and thawingFrozen 2’s$125 million holdover performance. As for Turkey Day itself, that was a record breaker too, withMoana 2bringing in $28 million—nearly double the $15 million mark set byFrozen 2. Black Friday was no different, asMoana 2scored the highest-ever box office take for the day, pulling in $54.5 million and surpassingFrozen 2’s$34.2 million.
‘Moana 2’ Has Broken Numerous Records in Just Five Days
It’s also the highest-ever opening for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film, dethroningFrozen 2’s$130.3 million debut. The film also shattered Disney preview records, earning $13.8 million, the best-ever Tuesday preview for the studio and second-highest for an animated movie behindIncredibles 2($18.5 million).The Rock also hit a personal milestone, too. WithMoana 2and Amazon MGM Studios’Red One, he became the first Hollywood star to have two No. 1 openings in a single calendar month withMoana 2also marking Johnson’s second-best 3-day opening weekend, trailing onlyFurious 7($147.1 million). Here are just a few more:
Global Box Office Records
Films Surpassed
Biggest 2024 Global Debut
BehindDeadpool & Wolverine($444.7M)
Highest Animated Global Opening
BehindSuper Mario Bros.($377.2M) andFrozen 2($358.2M)
Biggest Global Musical Opening
BehindBeauty and the Beast($357M) andBarbie($356.3M)
International Box Office Records
Markets/Achievements
Biggest 2024 International Debut
BehindDeadpool & Wolverine($233.1M)
Highest Animated International Opening
BehindInside Out 2
No. 1 Opening Markets
Almost all
1st in most markets
Except China (close 2nd)
Highest Animated Weekend of All Time
Not Specified
Record Set
France, Poland, UAE, and others
Best Disney Animation Opener
Latin America, Australia, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey
Moana 2is currently playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more.
Moana sets out on another daring voyage, venturing into uncharted territories to save her island from a looming ancient danger. Joined by the demigod Maui and her steadfast friends, she braves perilous seas and encounters new allies along the way. Her quest leads to revelations about her ancestors and deeper insights into her bond with the ocean.
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