'Moana 2' arrives on Disney+ after 100-day theatrical window
What's the story
Disney Animation's Moana 2 will premiere on Disney+ on March 12, after a successful over 100-day theatrical run. The decision to release the film theatrically was taken by Disney Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, despite initial plans for a Disney+ premiere. The strategy paid off as Moana 2 grossed $458.8 million domestically and $1.05 billion worldwide, reigniting interest in the franchise across parks, merchandise, etc.
Sequel details
'Moana 2' plot and box office success
Moana 2 continues the adventures of Moana and Maui three years after their first journey, as they set sail on a new voyage with a crew of unlikely seafarers. The film went on to become the third highest-grossing animated movie of 2024 and was only the fourth Walt Disney Animation Studio film to cross $1 billion, joining the ranks of Frozen, Zootopia, and Frozen 2.
Twitter Post
Check out the announcement here
Moana and Maui are back 🌊🪝#Moana2 is coming to @DisneyPlus on March 12! pic.twitter.com/9sAyZ8gLvk
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) February 25, 2025
Production insights
'Moana 2' directorial debut and musical changes
Moana 2 also marked the directorial debut of David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. In a major departure from the original film, Lin-Manuel Miranda was replaced by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear as the composers for the sequel's music. The film ended with a hint at a possible third installment in the franchise.
Star power
'Moana 2' cast and Disney's box office triumph
The sequel brought back Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho, with the former reprising his role as demigod Maui in a live-action adaptation of Moana scheduled for July 10, 2026. The cast also featured Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, David Fane, Hualalai Chung, and Rose Matafeo. Thanks to movies like Moana 2, Disney crossed $5.46 billion at the global box office last year—a feat no major studio has achieved since 2019.