Moana 2 Breaks Box Office Records and Delights Audiences This Thanksgiving

Disney’s highly anticipated sequel, “Moana 2,” has made a splash at the box office, setting new records and captivating audiences over the Thanksgiving weekend. The film opened with a staggering $59 million on its first day, Wednesday, from 4,200 locations, marking the highest opening day for an animated film on a Wednesday and surpassing the previous record held by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” last year.

The film’s impressive start includes $13.8 million from Tuesday preview screenings, contributing to its overall strong debut. This performance indicates a potential for a $200 million-plus 5-day launch, which would shatter the Thanksgiving 5-day record set by “Frozen II” in 2019. Disney’s conservative estimates project a $175 million-plus extended start, still significantly higher than previous Thanksgiving records.

In contrast to Disney Animation’s recent struggles with “Strange World” and “Wish,” “Moana 2” has already eclipsed the entire domestic theatrical runs of those films. It has surpassed the $37.9 million domestic run of “Strange World” and is close to exceeding the $63.9 million run of “Wish”.

While “Moana 2” is enjoying largely positive reception, it falls slightly short of the critical and audience acclaim of its predecessor. The film has an A- on CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 66% from critics and 88% from the audience, compared to the original’s A on CinemaScore and 95% and 89% Rotten Tomatoes scores.

The sequel continues the journey of Moana, now 19 years old, as she faces new challenges and responsibilities. Moana has become an excellent wayfinder and role model for her people, and her journey involves reconnecting her island with other humans to prevent a bleak future. The film introduces new characters, such as Moana’s little sister Simea, and features the return of beloved characters like Maui and the Kakamora.

The film’s success is not isolated; it is part of a competitive Thanksgiving weekend box office, with Universal’s “Wicked” also performing strongly. “Wicked” earned $20.4 million on its first Wednesday and is projected to gross $97 million over the five-day period, making it one of the top 3 highest ever 5-day Thanksgiving totals before inflation adjustment.