‘Moana 2’ Sails Past $1 Billion as Disney Puts a Bow on Their Triumphant 2024
Moana 2 officially sailed past the $1 billion mark at the global box office last weekend, becoming Disney’s third 2024 film to cross the threshold.
Through Sunday, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2016’s Moana has made $442 billion at the domestic box office and $567.1 million internationally.


Photo: Disney
While it is perhaps unsurprising that the second installment in Disney’s wildly popular Moana franchise reached the coveted $1 billion mark, Moana 2 took a unique course to achieve this milestone.
Moana 2’s Journey
Originally announced in February 2024 by Disney CEO Bob Iger, Moana 2 began development as a television series destined for Disney+. During the show’s production, however, Disney decided that the story was strong enough to be turned into a feature film.


Photo: Disney
After Moana 2 hit theaters on November 27, 2024, it was off to the races. The film quickly delivered the best Thanksgiving Day ever, the best Black Friday of all time, and the second-highest-grossing day at domestic theaters in 2024.
Eventually, the film would claim the title for best five-day release of the year.
Moana’s success was especially important for Disney after the disappointing Thanksgiving releases of Strange World (2022) and Wish (2023).


Image: Disney
While Moana 2 will not reach the heights of Inside Out 2 to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time (as many had hoped), the film is an undeniable success for Disney.


Photo: Disney
After a disappointing 2023, Disney came roaring back at the box office last year. Fueled by its three $1 billion films, Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2, the studio reigned supreme in theaters.
Will There Be ‘Moana 3’
With Moana 2 wrapping up its box office run, all eyes will be on the franchise’s future.


Photo: Disney
Disney has not announced that a Moana 3 is in development. However, given the franchise’s continued popularity, another sequel seems inevitable.