- Sequel to the much-loved original has set records at the box office
- Overall Thanksgiving weekend could be the biggest in US box office history
- Live-action Moana movie set for 2026
Moana 2 has continued the stellar year for sequels at the theater – setting a new record for the biggest five-day opening at the box office ever.
Biggest weekend
Disney’s sequel to the much-loved 2016 film may have had patchy reviews, but this apparently hasn’t deterred theater goers, who, taking advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend in the US, have been out in force to judge for themselves.
Indeed, Moana 2 is tracking to make $221 million in its first five days of release, which is a record, beating the $204 million taken by the Super Mario Bros Movie in April 2023.
Moana 2 picks up the action three years after the events of the first film. This time, according to the official synopsis, Moana gores on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui, the island where she lives.
Joined by Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
Auli’I Carvalho and Dawyne Johnson reprise their roles from the first film as Moana and Maui respectively.
Box office records broken
But it is setting up to have been a stellar weekend for theaters, as many people also took the chance to take in two recently released blockbusters too – Roman epic Gladiator II and Wicked, the big screen version of the hugely successful Broadway show.
Comscore reports that sales at the US box office over the holiday weekend is set to reach $420 million, more than $100 million more than the current record of $316 million set in 2018.
Moana fans have more to look forward to, with a live-action version of the original film in the works, which will see Dwayne Johnson again reprise his role as Maui. That film is set to land in theaters in July 2026. Here is all we know about the live-action adaptation of Moana.
