Warning: This article contains spoilers for Moana 2.
At the end of November 2024, Moana 2 premiered to incredible success, which is not only positive for Disney but also raises the stakes for the rest of the company's upcoming sequels. Eight years after the launch of Moana, Disney finally released Moana 2, which sees the return of the young titular seafarer as she is sent on a new mission. In particular, Moana is tasked with creating an island called Motufetu in order to reconnect all the islands surrounding her home. Alongside Maui and some new friends, Moana takes on her biggest task yet.
It's only been a few weeks since Moana 2 release, but the film is a clear success. With a budget of US$150 million, the film grossed US$606 million at the box office. Furthermore, the film has a 61% critical rating and an 87% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In this way, Moana 2 almost completely met the expectations set by Moana, which raised US$687 million and achieved a 95% success rate on RT. Completely, Moana 2 box office can be considered a success for Disney after a year of incredible releases such as Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine.
Moana 2's success puts a lot of pressure on Disney's next big sequels
How Moana 2 Compares to Other Disney Sequels
Although Moana 2 The success is a definite victory for Disney, but it also raises the bar for the company. Disney's next sequels will have to be just as profitable Moana 2 if they want to be memorable. In general, Disney is a powerful company, but even it can fail or fall on hard times. 2023, in particular, has been a decline for Disney. Films like Elemental, Haunted Mansion, and To wish It didn't do as well as expected. So 2025 and beyond need to maintain the momentum this year created.
Films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame II or Mulan II attempted to capitalize on the success of their first films, but were ultimately swept under the rug with much less critical acclaim and minimal box office earnings.
In the past, Disney's animated sequels have been a huge step up from the original films. Films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame II or Mulan II attempted to capitalize on the success of their first films, but were ultimately swept under the rug with much less critical acclaim and minimal box office earnings. Still, in recent years, Disney turned its direct-to-video flop sequels into massive theatrical experiences. Moana 2 is clear proof of that. This makes it all the more important that Disney continues its run of wildly successful sequels.
Moana 2 Teases a Bigger Universe Disney Could Return to
The Moana 2 universe is a good and bad thing
An element of Moana 2 What makes it even more important is the way it ends. At the end of Moana 2, Moana lifts Motufetu, allowing the islands to reconnect. This implies that besides Motunui from Moana, there are several other islands in this world. Considering Moana's curiosity for the ocean, there's no doubt she would be eager to meet others living close to her. Furthermore, Moana's new status as a demigod makes it even more likely that she will travel beyond the confines of her home to discover the power of her world.
Moana 2 creates an incredible world at the end of the film, which makes the future of the franchise even more exciting. Moana 3 has the potential to raise the stakes even further. Plus, if Disney's upcoming sequels fail, the company can still count on Moana be a winner among critics and audiences. However, this could also become a problem for Disney. While Moana It's a beloved IP, too much of it can be disastrous. If the franchise doesn't live up to its own expectations, Disney could find itself in a very difficult situation.
Every Upcoming Disney Sequel, Explained
Which Disney Sequels Are Most Likely to Succeed
To understand whether Disney can live up to the success of Moana 2, It's important to explore which Disney sequels will be released in the next year or two. The next Disney sequel to be released is Zootopia 2 in November 2025. After that, there is Toy Story 5 in June 2026 and Frozen 3 in November 2027. Although Disney is behind other “sequel” type films such as Mufasa: The Lion King and Tron: Ares, these feel more like spinoffs than sequels, which makes their success less crucial. Furthermore, expectations are not as high for these films as for Frozen 3.
|
Disney's Biggest Animated Sequels to Come |
Release date |
|---|---|
|
Zootopia 2 |
November 2025 |
|
Toy Story 5 |
June 2026 |
|
Frozen 3 |
November 2027 |
At the moment, the chances of Disney's upcoming sequels performing well at the box office are quite high. Zootopia raised more than US$1 billion in 2016, meanwhile Toy story and Frozen were some of Disney's biggest earners of the last decade. In truth, Frozen II is Disney's third highest-grossing animated film of all time, with $1.4 billion. Because of this, it seems likely that these upcoming sequels will do great financially, especially if their stories are good. Ultimately, it would take a very bad plot for any of these films to become failures.
Disney needs to continue growing with the success of Moana 2
Disney's Box Office Outlook Looks Positive
At the end, Moana 2 The $600 billion success is a sign that Disney is on the rise and needs to maintain that power. As much as this is a risky position for Disney, it is also an exciting time. Disney has a shocking number of popular IPs under its belt, and audiences are guaranteed to get some incredible films in the near and distant future. Sequels are far from Disney's most important content, but they will certainly hurt Disney's overall success, and right now, the chances are looking good.
The most significant clue as to Disney's continued success is the fact that, This year, Disney broke its own record for the highest-grossing animated film. Inside Out 2 is now the company's most profitable property, grossing $1.69 billion at the box office. If Inside Out 2, a sequel could break Disney's financial records, so it seems likely that Disney's next films could continue to make more and more money. In fact, there could even be a sequel that does this. Then, Moana 2 it's just a stepping stone on the path to incredible success for Disney.