Hey everyone! Today, we’re going to chat about a really popular animated movie that made huge waves at the box office not too long ago. We’re talking about Disney’s “Moana 2,” which brought back our favorite voyager and demigod for another amazing adventure. This film was a big deal, especially since it was first planned as a TV series for Disney+ but then became a full movie for theaters. It just goes to show you how much people love Moana’s world!
“Moana 2” took us back to the beautiful islands of Oceania, three years after the first movie. Moana, with her strong spirit and a call from her ancestors, set off on a new journey. She had to find a lost island and break a curse to help her people connect with the ocean again. Of course, her funny and powerful friend Maui was right there with her, bringing his usual charm and a few new friends too. This movie was full of heart, amazing songs, and stunning visuals that everyone enjoyed.
It was one of those films that everyone was excited to see, especially around the holidays. It came out during the Thanksgiving weekend in the US, which is a great time for family movies. And boy, did it deliver! It broke some serious box office records and showed that audiences were really ready for more of Moana’s story.
Basic details
Movie name: Moana 2
Category: Entertainment (Animated Musical Adventure)
Language: English
Release date: November 27, 2024 (United States)
Director: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller
Main cast: Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana, Dwayne Johnson as Maui, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk
Runtime: 100 minutes (1 hour 40 minutes)
Where to watch: You can stream “Moana 2” on Disney+. It became available for streaming on March 12, 2025. You could also buy or rent it digitally on platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube, and Google Play from late January 2025. Physical copies on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD were released on March 18, 2025.
Budget
The reported production budget for “Moana 2” was about $150 million. This is a pretty standard amount for a big animated movie from Disney. A movie usually needs to earn at least double its budget to be considered a success, because of all the marketing and other costs involved. So, for “Moana 2,” it needed to make around $300 million to $350 million to break even and start making a profit.
Opening day collection
“Moana 2” had a fantastic start at the box office! In the United States, it opened on a Wednesday. It earned an impressive $57.5 million on its first day, November 27, 2024. This number even included money from Tuesday night preview screenings. This was a record-breaking opening day for an animated film and one of the highest Wednesday openings ever.
For its opening in India, the movie was released on Friday, November 29, 2024. It collected ₹2 crore net on its first day in India.
Day wise box office collection
Here’s a look at how “Moana 2” performed day by day in its opening week, showing the collections from India and the domestic (US & Canada) market. Please note that detailed daily overseas collection numbers are generally not shared publicly for Hollywood movies, so we will focus on what we have.
| Day | India Net Collection (₹ Crore) | Domestic (US & Canada) Collection ($ Million) | Worldwide Total ($ Million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Wed, Nov 27, 2024) | Not applicable (India release Nov 29) | $57.5 million | Not available (part of 5-day total) |
| Day 2 (Thu, Nov 28, 2024) | Not applicable | $28 million | Not available |
| Day 3 (Fri, Nov 29, 2024) | ₹2.00 crore | $54.5 million | Not available |
| Day 4 (Sat, Nov 30, 2024) | ₹3.50 crore | $50.5 million | Not available |
| Day 5 (Sun, Dec 1, 2024) | ₹4.25 crore | $30.5 million | Not available |
| Day 6 (Mon, Dec 2, 2024) | ₹1.00 crore | Not available | Not available |
| Day 7 (Tue, Dec 3, 2024) | ₹1.00 crore | Not available | Not available |
| First Week Total | ₹13.00 crore (net) | Not applicable (5-day domestic total was $221 million) | Not applicable (5-day worldwide total was $386.3 million) |
| Second Weekend Total | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Total India Net Collection | ₹20 crore (by end of 3rd weekend, estimated) | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Total India Gross Collection | Estimated ₹30 crore (full run) | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Overseas Collection | Not applicable | Not applicable | $598.8 million (total) |
| Worldwide Collection | Not applicable | Not applicable | $1.059 billion (total) |
Latest total box office collection
“Moana 2” truly became a global sensation. The movie ended its theatrical run with a massive worldwide total of around $1.059 billion. This is a fantastic number and shows how much people all over the world loved the film.
In the United States and Canada (domestic collection), the movie earned $460.4 million.
From other countries (overseas collection), “Moana 2” brought in $598.8 million. This shows that it was a hit everywhere!
In India, the film had a decent run. Its estimated total gross collection was around ₹30 crore by the end of its theatrical run.
Hit or flop status
Without a doubt, “Moana 2” was a **blockbuster**! The movie had a reported budget of $150 million. When you compare that to its worldwide collection of $1.059 billion, you can see it earned more than seven times its production cost. This is a huge success for Disney. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 2024, showing just how much audiences wanted to go on another adventure with Moana and Maui.
Earnings report
Beyond the box office, “Moana 2” also made money from other sources. It earned a lot from its theatrical run, as we just saw. After its time in cinemas, the movie became available for digital purchase and rental in late January 2025. Then, it came to Disney+ for streaming on March 12, 2025.
The film was incredibly popular on Disney+. It got 27.3 million views in its first five days on the platform. It was even the most-streamed film during the first half of 2025, with over 7.2 billion minutes watched. By December 2025, Disney announced it was the most-watched film of the year on Disney+ with more than 80 million views. This shows that even after its big theatrical run, the movie continued to earn a lot through streaming. We do not have specific numbers for satellite rights or music rights, but with popular songs, it is safe to say those contributed to its overall earnings.
Why people liked it
People really loved “Moana 2” for many reasons. First, it brought back beloved characters like Moana and Maui, and everyone was excited to see them again. The story was all about adventure and exploring new places, which is something that always gets people excited. The movie also had some amazing new songs that got stuck in your head, just like the first one.
The animation was beautiful to watch, with stunning visuals of the ocean and new islands. There was a good mix of action, humor from Maui, and touching emotional moments that resonated with families. It was a perfect family movie, appealing to both kids and adults who enjoyed the original “Moana.” The film received a good “A-” CinemaScore and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that general moviegoers really enjoyed it. It really felt like a big, fun adventure that everyone could enjoy together.
Cast performance
Auliʻi Cravalho once again did a wonderful job as the voice of Moana. She brought so much warmth and determination to the character, making you root for Moana every step of the way. And who can forget Dwayne Johnson as Maui? He was fantastic, bringing his unique charm and humor to the demigod. His performance really makes Maui a character that everyone loves, even with his mischievous side. The chemistry between their voices was a big part of why the movie felt so good. The rest of the cast also did a great job, making all the new and returning characters feel real and fun.
Public response
The public response to “Moana 2” was mostly very positive. Even though critics had mixed reviews, audiences loved it. The CinemaScore of “A-” tells us that people coming out of the theaters felt very happy with the movie. On social media, there was a lot of talk about how much fun the movie was and how great it was to see Moana and Maui back. The strong word of mouth helped the movie do so well at the box office. Families especially made it a must-see, choosing it as a perfect holiday outing. This movie really showed how much the “Moana” story means to many people.
Final words
“Moana 2” was a huge success for Disney. It went far beyond expectations at the box office, earning over a billion dollars worldwide. It also became a massive hit on Disney+, with millions of views and watch hours. The movie proved that the story of Moana and Maui still has a special place in people’s hearts. It was a well-loved adventure that truly resonated with audiences everywhere, making it a very successful film indeed.
Source note
Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, Wikipedia, The Walt Disney Company, Boxoffice Pro, Disney Wiki, Hollywood News, Collider, Pinkvilla, Mashable, ScreenRant, JustWatch, TV Guide, The Washington Post, Cartoon Brew, Toonado.com, News24.