Disney has just announced a new film, with this announcement hurting next year’s most anticipated live-action remake movie. Disney releases multiple blockbusters every year, with the studio being one of the most impactful labels in the film industry. Because of this, Disney often announces its movies years in advance – but this trend has just been broken. One newly-announced Disney movie is set to have a pretty quick turnaround time, and while the film’s release is exciting for some, it could seriously end up hurting a Disney live-action remake that has been years in the making.
Disney live-action remakes have been constantly releasing for the past few years, with it being expected for one of Disney’s animated classics to get a new version every year. These live-action remakes are often adaptations of decades-old films, with long-dormant franchises coming back in order for Disney to produce a new take on these stories. However, the majority of Disney’s most well-known classics have already been remade, meaning that the studio is having to start pulling from more modern movies. There has been speculation that this trend could cause some problems, as this newly-announced film confirms.
Dwayne Johnson’s Moana Return Breaks A Major Disney Live-Action Remake Trend
Dwayne Johnson returning for Disney’s live-action Moana means the movie will break a major trend when it comes to the studio’s live-action remakes.
Moana 2 Was A Surprise Announcement
Disney just made a surprise announcement of Moana 2, with the confirmation of this sequel seemingly coming out of nowhere. 2016’s Moana is one of the most popular films to come out of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ modern era, meaning that it isn’t surprising that the studio would want to capitalize on its success. There are all kinds of stoires that could be told in the Moana universe, and while it isn’t known exactly what narrative the upcoming sequel will tackle, many fans of the franchise are already excited for its return.
One of the most shocking things about the announcement of Moana 2 is how close its release date actually is. Moana 2 is set to release in November 2024, meaning that the sequel has been announced less than a year away from its theatrical release. Disney often announces its movies years in advance, especially when it is part of a franchise. This quick turnaround time has caused many to wonder why Disney held off on commenting on Moana 2 for so long, and more details about the film’s release will undoubtedly be revealed in the future.
Moana 2 Releasing In 2024 Before 2025’s Live-Action Moana Remake Could Be A Bad Idea
Giving Moana 2 a release date of November 2024 is an odd choice, as this means that the film will be released shortly before 2025’s live-action Moana remake. The live-action Moana remake is one of the most notable remakes on Disney’s slate of upcoming projects, with its announcement raising questions about if it is necessary due to the original only releasing in 2016. Moana 2 could end up causing even more problems for the Moana remake, as Moana 2‘s release date may end up kneecapping the live-action film.
Having Moana 2 and the Moana live-action remake release only months apart from each other could oversaturate the market, with Moana 2 causing audiences to be bored by the property ahead of the live-action remake’s release date. Even if having two Moana movies isn’t overkill, releasing an original Moana story could cause audiences to wonder why a remake of the original story is necessary, a question that is raised every time a Disney live-action remake is released. Moana 2 is an exciting film, but it could end up causing a lot of problems for its sister film.
Two Other Disney Live-Action Remakes Will Determine How Moana Does
Moana 2 isn’t the only upcoming film that could determine how the live-action Moana does, as two other Disney live-action remakes could have an impact on it as well. The live-action Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the live-action Mufasa: The Lion King prequel will be releasing first, with the box office success of these films being a sign of how Disney should move forward.
Disney’s Live-Action Snow White Needs 25x The Original’s Box Office To Break A Remake Record
Disney’s live-action Snow White has to live up to the original animated movie’s success, and that means making 25x its box office to break records.
The live-action The Little Mermaid remake’s box office was a massive disappointment, signaling that DIsney’s upcoming remake slate may be in trouble. If Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Mufasa: The Lion King fail in a similar way, Disney will need to make a drastic change, possibly affecting the live-action Moana remake. If Moana 2 is a success and the Moana remake fails, this could cause Disney to invest more in original stories that continue franchises rather than remaking animated classics, with this being an interesting audience litmus test.
Moana
Disney’s Moana takes place in ancient Polynesia, and tells the story of the titular princess. The daughter of a tribe chief in a coastal village, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) is drawn to the sea, believing it is her quest to return the Heart of Te Fiti – a mysterious relic – to its rightful home in order to stop the blight threatening her island. Along the way, she meets the trickster demi-god, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who helps her on her quest.
- Release Date
- November 23, 2016
- Director
- Ron Clements , John Musker
- Cast
- Dwayne Johnson , Temuera Morrison , Auli’i Cravalho , Rachel House , Nicole Scherzinger , Alan Tudyk , Jemaine Clement
- Runtime
- 1h 47m
- Writers
- Pamela Ribon , John Musker , Ron Clements , Taika Waititi
- Budget
- 150–175 million
- Studio(s)
- Disney
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
- Franchise(s)
- Disney
