Every Box Office Record Broken by Moana 2: It Scores the Biggest Opening on Thanksgiving Day in History

Moana 2 didn’t just make waves—it unleashed a tidal wave of success. The sequel stormed into theaters and shattered records left and right. Disney once again proved it owns the holidays, with a film that stole the spotlight and the box office.

Audiences flocked to theaters to see the epic adventure, and the stats don’t lie. From smashing Thanksgiving Day earnings to setting new highs for animated films, Moana 2 dominated the holiday season like no other movie before it.

It’s a cinematic event that’s resonating with families, Disney fans, and anyone who loves a good experience. So, what’s behind the massive splash? Let’s dive into the epic numbers that made history!

Domestic

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moana 2 completely dominated the U.S. box office during Thanksgiving, setting records left and right. It became the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving opener ever. It pulled in an incredible $221 million, smashing the 5-day opening record set by Super Mario Bros. at $204.6 million.

The movie didn’t stop there. It had the best Thanksgiving Day earnings in history, raking in $28 million in just one day. That’s almost double the $15 million record set by Frozen 2. It knocked Frozen II off its throne, which had been holding the record for highest Thanksgiving earnings since 2019.

On Black Friday, it hit another milestone with $54.5 million in earnings, the highest ever for that day. Moana 2 set a new record for a Walt Disney Animation movie, surpassing Frozen 2‘s $130.3M opening. It also crushed the best-ever preview figure for Disney, pulling in $13.8M—way ahead of Ralph Breaks the Internet’s $3.8M.

Plus, it had the second-highest preview earnings for an animated movie, just behind Incredibles 2‘s $18.5M. For Dwayne Johnson, it marked his second-best 3-day opening, only trailing Furious 7‘s $147.1M debut (via Deadline).

It also became the fourth-highest opening for a musical in the domestic box office, right behind The Lion King ($191.7M), Beauty and the Beast ($174.7M), and Barbie ($162M). Now, Disney owns the top seven Thanksgiving debuts of all time—and nine of the top ten.

Worldwide

Moana 2 made a massive splash globally, earning $386 million worldwide in its opening weekend (per Variety). That makes it the second-biggest global debut of 2024, just behind the superhero blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, which brought in $444.7 million.

It’s also now one of the biggest animated openings ever ($300.8M), ranking third behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($377.2M) and Frozen 2 ($358.2M). On top of that, it earned the third-highest opening for a musical film, following Beauty and the Beast ($357M) and Barbie ($356.3M). These numbers prove Moana 2 is a global phenomenon, loved by audiences across continents.

International

As reported by Deadline, Moana 2 scored the second-highest international opening of 2024 so far, behind only Deadpool & Wolverine ($233.1M). It also took the second spot for the highest international animated opening, just behind Inside Out 2. The movie opened at #1 in every market except China, where local films took the lead.

It broke records in France, Poland, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria, Serbia, and Turkey, setting the highest animated opening weekend ever. In places like Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, it earned the second-highest animated opening weekend of all time.

And it didn’t stop there—Moana 2 set a new all-time Walt Disney Animation opening weekend across the entire Latin American region, plus in France, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and more. The movie went global, and it went big. Clearly, Moana’s story hits home everywhere.

Moana 2 is currently screening in theatres!