It was a huge weekend at the box office, with Moana 2 setting sail to become not only one of the biggest films of 2024, but one of the biggest animated films of all time.
In Australia, the film earned $12.3 million over its Wednesday to Sunday opening weekend (including preview screenings), claiming the title of the second-highest opening weekend for a film this year, behind Deadpool & Wolverine.
The record-breaking box office earnings mark the largest opening for an animated film in 17 years and the third largest of all time, trailing only The Simpsons Movie (2007) and Shrek 2 (2004). This opening weekend performance is three times larger than the debut of the original Moana in 2016.
The film amassed 690,000 admissions, skewing 60% female, and 51% of the total audience was delivered from the P25-54 demographic.
Moana 2’s international opening has also shattered records worldwide, grossing an impressive $386 million.
“We anticipated Moana 2 would be a major cultural moment for family audiences, and it has more than lived up to that,” said Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan Cinema.
“With its record-breaking success over the weekend of delivering $12.3 million, Moana 2 is now ranked as one of the most successful animated films of all time”.
Moviegoers had no shortage of choice over the weekend, as Gladiator II, Wicked, and Moana 2 dominated the box office. Together, the films drove the highest weekend box office and audience results since Barbenheimer last year, with $24 million, and 1.31 million admissions.
“The combination of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II created a monumental weekend, the biggest since Barbenheimer, and has delivered a four-quadrant weekend, connecting with audiences across all ages and genders,” said Burbidge.
“With the incredible momentum behind these films, there’s no better time for brands to be on the big screen. We’re gearing up for one of the biggest summers at the box office yet, with two more huge films—Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3— also set to release in the coming weeks. This strong line up will continue delivering exceptional box performance, and we expect this momentum to continue well into the new year”.
Looking ahead to next year, Paddington in Peru, We Live in Time, Captain America: Brave New World, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Sinners and the live-action adaptation Snow White all releasing between January to March.
