‘Moana 2’ Surges to Record-Breaking Global Box Office Debut
Animated adventures are booming at the box office, with Disney’s "Moana 2" making a splash with a record-breaking global opening weekend. The sequel to the beloved 2016 film snagged a staggering $389 million across the globe, setting a new benchmark for animated films.
"Chee hoo indeed!" exclaimed the studio, acknowledging the film’s impressive performance. This achievement dethrones "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which held the previous record of $377 million.
The wave of audience enthusiasm was particularly strong in North America, where "Moana 2" sailed to a record-breaking $221 million during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Internationally, the film earned a commendable $163.8 million, defying predictions for weaker overseas performance.
"We understand that [Disney] didn’t call out the record yesterday because the studio wanted to wait until the actuals were tallied," said a source, acknowledging the studio’s cautious approach to proclaiming the milestone.
Though estimates initially pointed toward a slightly higher international take, the film’s strong performance across 48 markets solidified its position as a global phenomenon. "Moana 2" achieved No. 1 openings in virtually every market it graced, highlighting its universal appeal.
Even China, known for its preference for local content, responded favorably, despite a strong local title in competition. France witnessed the biggest animated opening ever, while Poland, the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria, Serbia, Turkey, and more all experienced record-breaking debuts for the film.
This celebratory wave extends to Walt Disney Animation Studios, marking their biggest opening weekend ever across Latin America and setting new highs in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and other countries. "Moana 2" secured the second-highest opening ever for WDAS in Germany, Spain, the UK & Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and several others. Australia celebrated "Moana 2" as their highest-grossing WDAS or Pixar opening weekend ever.
This tidal wave of success sets a positive course for "Moana 2," which faces no major competition next weekend and will expand to Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand on Friday.
Meanwhile, other box office contenders continue their journeys. Universal’s "Wicked," still riding high on its magical opening, crawled past the $359.3 million mark globally. The witchy tale brought in $29 million internationally, worryingly down almost 40% from the previous weekend, excluding previews.
"Wicked", however, remains on track with other musical hits like "Wonka," "Fantastic Beasts 3," "Mamma Mia 2," and "The Little Mermaid" at this stage. Australia championed the adaptation with impressive weekend holds, outperforming past giants like "Maleficent" and "Fantastic Beasts 3."
As exciting new offerings continue to arrive on the silver screen, the box office race promises to be a captivating chase in the weeks ahead.
