“Moana 2” achieves record first day pre-sales

Strong winds benefit Moana 2 as it sails ashore.

The Walt Disney Animation Studios tentpole set records for first-day ticket sales on Monday, according to online retailer Fandango.

It sold more tickets than any other 2024 animated film, including Disney/Pixar's other summer 2024 blockbuster Inside Out 2. It's also the fourth-best showing of the year for all films behind it Deadpool and Wolverine, Evil And Dune: Part 2. (It's no wonder why box office watchers have left the sequel with its own nickname: “Moanapocalpyse.”)

The event pic hits theaters November 27th, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and five days after Paramount's Gladiator II and Universal Evil open in North America. Theater owners are counting on the trio of highly anticipated tentpoles to boost ticket sales after a difficult start to the third quarter.

David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller directed the animated film, which reunites voice actors Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. The story follows Moana, who sets out on an unexpected adventure into long-lost waters after receiving a call from her ancestors. Johnson once again takes on the role of the demigod Maui.

As a testimony to that MoanaDue to its continued popularity, the original film, released in 2016 and grossing over $687 million worldwide, was the most streamed film across all platforms in 2023, according to Nielsen.

Moana 2 was originally developed as a television series before being adapted as a theatrical sequel. With new songs from Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Moana 2 counts Christina Chen and Yvett Merino among the producers.

A trailer for the film released in late May was viewed by 178 million people in the first 24 hours, more than any other trailer for a film in the history of Disney's animation empire, which consists of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. (Moana is from Disney Animation.)

Disney and Johnson are also behind the live-action Moana Remake by director Thomas Kail, which is scheduled to hit theaters on July 10, 2026.