Moana 2’s Stomping Box Office Success is a Traumatic Reminder of One 2024 Film That Got Unfairly Crushed
- Moana 2 has taken the global box office by a storm with its phenomenal collection.
- The animated sequel has broken several box office records.
- People have not forgotten the unfair treatment Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga got.
If Wicked‘s opening box office collection was a firecracker, Moana 2‘s collection is a literal bomb. The animated sequel’s performance at the box office has defied all expectations and in a good way. 2024 might not have started strong at the box office, but it is definitely going to end with a bang.
While Moana 2‘s performance is worth celebrating, it is also a reminder of the huge disappointment that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s box office performance turned out to be. Others might have forgotten about it, but those who love the franchise and the movie have not let it go and have voiced their displeasure about it from time to time.
Moana 2 Has Broken Several Box Office Records with a Phenomenal Box Office Collection
Upon its release in 2016, the animated musical fantasy adventure Moana did not have that big of an impact, although it had a fairly good worldwide gross. In fact, it wasn’t until 2023 that it would become a cultural phenomenon and the most streamed movie on all platforms, thanks to kids across the world.
Initially, there were talks of a series being in the making. However, that plan was scratched and the production of a film began instead. The first film followed the story of Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho), a strong-willed daughter of a chief who is chosen by the ocean to unite a relic with the goddess Te Fiti. She seeks the help of a legendary demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on her journey.
The sequel sees Moana embark on yet another adventurous journey after receiving a call from her ancestors, with Maui joining her along the way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has grossed $389 million at the worldwide box office and broken several records on the way.
It has surpassed the collection of its contemporaries Wicked and Gladiator 2, which were also on the Thanksgiving weekend menu. To say the least, Disney is winning big this year with this movie and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which turned in over a billion dollars just a couple of months ago. This, however, has done nothing to heal the wounds of those who were hoping that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga would be a hit.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga‘s Fate Was Surprisingly Terrible
Furiosa was the first movie, a spin-off no less, released in almost a decade as a part of George Miller’s Mad Max franchise. Considering this, many had expected it to perform well at the box office. According to the score on Rotten Tomatoes, the critics were obviously impressed with the movie and so was the audience who watched it.
Despite this, the film turned out to be a box office bomb with a collection of $173.7 million (via Box Office Mojo) against a budget of $168 million (via The Numbers). Some people have held on to that heartache. Here is what some of them had to say:
Furiosa‘s collection falling short of expectations despite Miller at the helm and stars like Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth playing lead characters was definitely a shocker. There is no telling if the film could have done well if it was released some other time of the year, but considering that even movies like The Fall Guy and Transformers One flopped, it is quite difficult to get a read on what people will like and what they won’t.
