Moana 2 Hits a Major Global Milestone, Becoming a Top Movie of the Year

Moana 2 achieves a significant box office milestone and ranks among the highest-grossing films of 2024. Since its November 27 theatrical release, Moana 2’s box office debut has broken multiple records and established itself as an indisputable financial success for Disney. Despite competing with films from well-known franchises like Wicked, Gladiator II, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mufasa: The Lion King, and others, Moana 2 has maintained its strong domestic and international performance.

According to Deadline, Moana 2 is currently the fourth highest-grossing film of the year at both the domestic and international box office, having earned over $800 million worldwide. As of right now, the Disney animated sequel has made $804 million worldwide, including $440.6 million abroad. Despicable Me 4 is ranked third worldwide, while Wicked is ranked third domestically, while Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine are ranked first and second, respectively.

Rank	Movie	Global Box Office
1	Inside Out 2	$1.7 billion
2	Deadpool & Wolverine	$1.3 billion
3	Despicable Me 4	$969.2 million
4	*Moana 2*	$804 million
5	Dune: Part Two	$714.4 million
6	Wicked	$573 million
7	Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire	$571.8 million
8	Kung Fu Panda 4	$547.7 million
9	Venom: The Last Dance	$475.5 million
10	Beetlejuice Beetlejuice	$451.1 million

What This Means For Moana 2

It is approaching $1 billion.

Moana 2 is currently one of the top four highest-grossing films of 2024, surpassing both Despicable Me 4 and Dune: Part Two on the domestic front. With $804 million in less than a month, the sequel has the potential to overtake Wicked domestically and Despicable Me 4 internationally, making it the third highest-grossing film of the year. The contest to determine who comes in third at the domestic box office is close since Wicked is still playing strongly in cinemas.

Rank	Movie	Domestic Box Office
1	Inside Out 2	$653 million
2	Deadpool & Wolverine	$636.8 million
3	Wicked	$384.6 million
4	*Moana 2*	$363.4 million
5	Despicable Me 4	$361 million
6	Beetlejuice Beetlejuice	$294.1 million
7	Dune: Part Two	$282.1 million
8	Twisters	$267.8 million
9	Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire	$196.4 million
10	Kung Fu Panda 4	$193.6 million

Moana 2 may or may not be able to hit the $1 billion global milestone, but even if it does, it is unlikely to surpass Deadpool & Wolverine or Inside Out 2. If Moana 2 succeeds, it will be one of only three Disney films to make $1 billion or more in 2024. Following the success of the second film at the box office, this would be yet another significant victory for Disney and strengthen the possibility that Moana 3 will be released.

Our Analysis of the Box Office Performance of Moana 2

Disney Wins on Several Levels

Despite the varied reviews, Moana 2’s global box office performance has demonstrated that adapting the Disney+ series into a full-length film was a wise financial move. Moana 2, Inside Out 2, and Despicable Me 4’s box office receipts also demonstrate how successful family-friendly animated films can be throughout the long run, not just on their first weekend. Despite its success at the box office, Moana 2 still has weeks left to go.