Chethma De Mel, Jadetimes Staff
C. J. De Mel is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment News
For now, Disney's animated sequel Moana 2 holds the record for the biggest pre-sale ticket earnings of any 2024 release-animated film. The film reunites Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, and Maui, as portrayed by Dwayne Johnson, in a new musical adventure. Initially conceived mainly as a series for Disney+, the project was remade for theaters upon orders from its CEO Bob Iger and other executives. That seems to have paid off big time: Moana 2 is now the fourth-highest for first-day advance ticket sales across all 2024 movies, behind only Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked, and Dune: Part Two, per Fandango via The Hollywood Reporter.
Opening on November 27, well in advance of Thanksgiving, Moana 2 has weeks and weeks to go to continue improving on that figure. The great opening could put it on pace to rival, and likely surpass, the Inside Out 2-dominating box office for animated releases so far this year, with totals over $1.6 billion. With a free and clear weekend ahead of Thanksgiving and minimal family-oriented competition, Moana 2 would appear in position for wide audiences. For Disney, it could mean this is a return to form, as Thanksgiving releases in recent times have not been performing this strongly.
What Does This Success Entail for Moana 2?
With its strong presales, Moana 2 is positioned to leave Inside Out 2 in the dust and mark a new record for Disney. To do that, the movie would have to have a strong opening over Thanksgiving and hold well into early 2025. Wicked and Gladiator II also will hit theaters just before Thanksgiving, but Moana 2 will be the only major family-friendly offering in theaters over the holiday, which could help it capture a broader audience.
Disney's Decision to Go Theatrical Pays Off
Whereas Moana 2 was supposed to be a streaming series initially, it seems an epic storyline with new additions of mythology would merge well into the cinema style. Record-breaking pre-sales hint that Disney's remaking of the story for the theaters was financially reasonable. Moana 2 seems like the film-theater version, with more gods and demigods in its cast, to be what people want to see in theaters.
