Moana 2 has set multiple records after sailing to a massive box-office opening over Thanksgiving weekend.
The Disney sequel has grossed an estimated $221 million across the five-day weekend at the US box office, marking the biggest five-day opening in history ahead of The Super Mario Bros Movie‘s $205.6 million.
Moana 2‘s three-day US debut of $135.5 million is the best-ever start for a Walt Disney Animation ahead of Frozen II‘s $130.2 million.
Worldwide, Moana 2 has already grossed $386.3 million which is the second-biggest global debut of the year behind Deadpool & Wolverine‘s $444.7 million bow.
“Moana 2 has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that Moana has become,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said (via Variety).
“This is a moment to celebrate, and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.”
Moana 2 helped power the US box office to $422 million across all movies over the Thanksgiving period, smashing past the previous record of $315 million in 2018.
Part of that saw Wicked add $117.5 million across the five-day weekend, lifting it to $262.4 million so far at the US box office and $359.2 million worldwide, while Gladiator II added $44 million for $111.2 million in the US and $320 million worldwide.
With Auli’i Cravalho once again voicing the titular heroine, Moana 2 may have attracted a large crowd, but didn’t fully convince critics.
Currently sitting at a 65% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the follow-up has landed a significantly lower rating and softer praise than its 2016 predecessor, Certified Fresh at 95%.
The score can go up — or further down — as more reviews come in. At present, film writers seem almost unanimously disappointed by the sequel, despite the stunning animation.
Moana 2 is out now in cinemas, while Moana is available to stream on Disney+.
Reports: DIGITAL SPY
