'Moana 2' targets HUGE $235 million global debut; to wash out 'Frozen 2' Thanksgiving record

Moana and Maui are setting sail to dominate the box office this Thanksgiving weekend. 'Moana 2' is poised to dominate the ticket windows with current projections suggesting that the film will score a massive $235 million global debut.
The sequel to the 2016 animated hit is set to open in 4,200 theatres across North America on Wednesday, Variety reports and is expected to rake in between $135 million to $145 million over its five-day extended weekend. If the film can indeed match the expected earnings, it will break the Thanksgiving box office record, surpassing the long-standing record held by 'Frozen 2' which amassed $125 million over its five-day debut weekend.
At the international box office, 'Moana 2' is eyeing another $100 million, which will push its overall total past the $200 million mark.

The original 'Moana' made a splash with a collection of $82 million over its 2016 Thanksgiving debut weekend. It went on to score an overall total collection of $680 million globally. The film's popularity has only grown since its OTT debut in 2023, where the movie topped US streaming charts, garnering 11.6 billion minutes watched on Disney+, according to Nielsen.
The sequel sees Dwayne Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho reprising their roles as Maui and Moana. This time, the two embark on a journey to locate a hidden island and break a mysterious curse.
The success of 'Moana 2' at the box office will be another theatrical triumph for Disney, following the enormous successes of 'Inside Out 2' which earned $1.6 billion globally and 'Deadpool & Wolverine' which scored the second-highest collection of 2024, earning $1.3 billion globally.
At the box office, 'Moana 2' will also face some competition from last weekend's releases of 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator 2'. While the musical grossed $129 million domestically and $178 million globally within four days of release, 'Gladiator II' has amassed $60.5 million domestically and $225 million worldwide.