Moana 2's New Record Continues An Exciting 6-Year Disney Sequel Trend
Summary
- Moana 2 trailer has broken the record for most views in 24 hours, a promising sign for Disney’s struggling box office.
- The previous 3 movies to have broken this same record were also Disney sequels, and this speaks volumes regarding a possible future strategy.
- With a focus on successful sequels, Disney’s strategy continues to be driven by audience anticipation and excitement.
Moana 2‘s trailer has set an exciting new record, continuing Disney’s promising sequel trend. The upcoming movie, which will hit theaters on November 27, 2024, dropped its first full trailer in May, revealing a few of the moments audiences have to look forward to. The clip sufficiently did its job, and the world of social media has been abuzz with anticipation for Moana and Maui’s return to the big screen. This is great news for Disney, which has struggled to please audiences with its recent releases, but like other sequels before it, Moana 2 is likely to turn things around.
Moana 2‘s trailer sees the titular hero (who has a whole new look) set out from her island home again, this time in search of more human settlements across the ocean. A voiceover from Moana actor Auliʻi Cravalho can be heard saying, “This is a call from the ancestors to sail to new skies and reconnect our people across the entire ocean.” Of course, this means exciting new adventures, and, likely, characters are coming in Moana 2, and Dwayne Johnson’s Maui is back in on the action as well. It’s certainly a promising trailer and a record-breaking one at that.
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Moana 2’s Trailer Has Broken The Record For Most Views In 24 Hours For An Animated Movie
Moana 2 Dethroned Inside Out 2’s Trailer Record
In the first 24 hours after its release, the Moana 2 trailer received 178 million views across YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. These figures made it the new record holder for the most viewed trailer for an animated movie within this timeframe. Overall, this is a sign that Disney made the right choice when it changed the format for the Moana sequel from a Disney+ TV show to a feature film. So much hype over a trailer alone is sure to translate to some tremendous theatrical box-office numbers, which the House of Mouse desperately needs.
Disney’s last few movies have fallen flat at the box office. The once golden child of animation has struggled to come back after COVID-19 closures and movies like Elemental and Wish were regarded as theatrical flops. So, the company has shifted its focus to sequels like Moana 2, elevating the project from a TV show to a feature film in an effort to redeem itself. Based on the last movies to break the animated trailer viewership record, this was a good call.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said that, after watching clips from the planned
Moana
sequel series, he and his fellow execs decided that the project looked too good not to get a theatrical release.
The Last 3 Animated Movies To Break This Same Record Were Disney Sequels
Disney Sequels Are Consistently Performing Well
Before Moana 2 snatched the record for most viewed animated trailer within 24 hours, it was held by Inside Out 2, another Disney sequel. The Pixar film gained an impressive 157 million views in this window, dethroning Frozen 2‘s trailer (116 million views in 24 hours). Before this, the record was held by the trailer for Incredibles 2, which managed 113 million views in 24 hours when it dropped six years ago. This trend speaks volumes about Disney sequels and their popularity.
Movie | Trailer Views in the First 24 Hours |
|---|---|
Moana 2 | 178 million |
Inside Out 2 | 157 million |
Frozen 2 | 116 million |
Incredibles 2 | 113 million |
Incredibles 2 made $1.2 billion at the global box office, which is no surprise considering the success of its trailer alone. Then, just as Frozen 2‘s trailer raised the bar, the movie did as well, bringing in $1.5 billion globally. Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 haven’t been released yet, but all signs point to them being even more successful. It seems that Disney has discovered the formula for getting audiences to watch its movies, and this means that more sequels are sure to follow Moana 2.
Moana 2’s New Broken Record Means More Disney Sequels Are Sure To Come
Despite Criticism, Disney’s Sequels Aren’t Going Anywhere
Disney has been criticized in recent years for its focus on sequels and live-action remakes. However, the data proves that these projects have been overall more successful than the company’s recent new ideas. If Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 perform as well as projected, then this is sure to solidify the House of Mouse’s strategy going forward. More sequels are sure to follow, from more Frozen and Incredibles movies to first-time sequels for the company’s stand-alone films. Of course, this can’t replace new ideas entirely.
Disney will need these massively successful sequels to pay the bills, and this will allow the company to get back to the drawing board and figure out why movies like Elemental and Wish were so disappointing.
Disney will need these massively successful sequels to pay the bills, and this will allow the company to get back to the drawing board and figure out why movies like Elemental and Wish were so disappointing. Once this is done, audiences will get brand-new stories and characters, opening the door for broader franchises. For now, we can sit back and enjoy movies like Inside Out 2 and Moana 2, knowing that a new Disney movie will soon swoop in and break that trailer record again.
Moana 2
Moana embarks on a thrilling new quest to safeguard her island from an emerging ancient threat. With the demigod Maui by her side, along with her trusted companions, she navigates treacherous waters and explores mysterious new lands. Along the way, Moana uncovers hidden truths about her ancestors and deepens her understanding of the ocean’s magic.
