A trailer for the movie was viewed by 178 million people in its first 24 hours this week, more than any other trailer for a film in the history of Disney’s animated empire, which is made up of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. (Moana is from Disney Animation.)
In terms of trailer viewership, the previous record for Pixar was Inside Out 2 (157 million), and the best for Disney Animation was Frozen 2 (116 million). The Moana 2 trailer also came in above Pixar’s Incredibles 2 (113 million).
The Moana 2 trailer will play before Inside Out 2, which opens in theaters June 14. The upcoming Pixar sequel is tracking to open to $80 million-$85 million, although one service believes it will cross $90 million. Both films are good news for Disney’s animation empire, as Pixar, in particular, has been struggling.
Moana 2, which reunites voice stars Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, opens in theaters Nov. 27.
David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller directed the animated feature, which centers on Moana embarking on an unexpected adventure in long-lost waters after receiving a call from her ancestors. Johnson reprises his role as demigod Maui.
The project was originally developed as a television series before being reworked as a theatrical sequel. Featuring new songs from Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Moana 2 counts Christina Chen and Yvett Merino as producers.
Disney and Johnson are also behind the live-action Moana remake from director Thomas Kail that’s set to open in theaters on July 10, 2026.
As a testament to Moana’s enduring popularity, the original film, which came out in 2016 and grossed north of $687 million globally, was the most streamed movie across all platforms in 2023, per Nielsen.
The Hollywood Reporter
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