Disney waited eight years to announce Moana 2, but the decision was an obvious one to make thanks to a huge stat. Walt Disney Animated Studios released the first Moana in 2016 and watched as the film captured the hearts of an entire generation. The movie was praised at the time and has only maintained its popularity with families and children since then. That is why calls for another Moana movie were so persistent, leading Disney to develop an animated series and live-action remake. However, the studio has finally come to its senses by making a proper Moana 2.
The announcement of Moana 2 came in early 2024 with Disney revealing plans for the movie to debut in theaters in November 2024, just nine months later. It might seem like a no-brainer for Disney to make the sequel based on the simple fact that Moana has made $687 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo) when taking into account the original release and any re-releases. That level of financial success is something Disney is desperately seeking to find from its animated movies, but that was also eight years ago. A different stat proves Moana‘s continued popularity.
How Disney Is Releasing Moana 2 Just 9 Months After First Announcement
Disney has announced Moana 2 for a 2024 release just nine months away. How did the studio manage to hide the surprise and get it done so quick?
Moana Was The Most Streamed Movie Of 2023 Across All Platforms
Although nearly eight years have passed since Moana was released in theaters, the movie is still one of the most popular in Disney’s entire catalog, as well as the entirety of Hollywood. The renewed popularity of the film directly coincided with the launch of Disney+ in 2019, which led to it routinely being among the titles that are most watched. 2023 saw interest grow even more, as Moana was the most watched movie on streaming across every major platform according to The Nielsen Company. Moana was watched for 11.6 billion minutes, which roughly translates to 108 million views.
Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming Movies In 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
Movie | Streaming Service | Minutes Viewed (In Billions) |
Moana | Disney+ | 11.6 |
Encanto | Disney+ | 9.7 |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Netflix/Peacock | 8.8 |
Elemental | Disney+ | 8.6 |
Minions: The Rise of Gru | Netflix | 7.1 |
Sing 2 | Netflix | 6.7 |
Frozen | Disney+ | 6.5 |
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Disney+ | 6.4 |
Avatar: The Way of Water | Disney+/Max | 6.4 |
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Netflix | 6.3 |
The appearance of Moana on the list of most-streamed movies in 2023 at all is a huge win for Disney. It is the second-oldest movie featured on the list, with only Frozen being older. However, there is still a very clear demand to watch Moana with it coming at the top and with a significant cushion between it and Encanto for the second spot. Its ability to also top 2023 animated movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Elemental proves that audiences are more interested in revisiting Moana and Maui’s adventures than checking out newer titles.
Moana 2’s Announcement Fixes 4 Years Of Disney Animated Movie Troubles
Moana 2 is exciting for many reasons, including the fact that it is set to fix 4 years of troubles that Disney animated movies have been facing.
Moana’s Streaming Success Proves Why Disney Is Making Moana 2
It is likely not a coincidence that Disney has now decided it would be best for Moana 2 to be made as a theatrically released movie. This will give them an opportunity to make a massive sum of money at the box office after a few rough years for their animated features. Moana‘s streaming records should directly translate to families rushing to theaters to see the next chapter of this story. Furthermore, it should be expected that Moana 2 will become the next dominant title for Disney+ once it arrives on the service sometime in 2025.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, The Nielsen Company
Moana 2
- Release Date
- November 27, 2024
- Director
- Dave Derrick Jr.
- Cast
- Dwayne Johnson
