Disney’s Moana 2 has reached an impressive milestone, raking in US$600 million at the global box office just two weeks after its release. This remarkable performance cements its position as the sixth-highest-grossing movie of the year so far. With an even split of US$300 million in domestic and US$300 million in international markets, the animated sequel is set to surpass the lifetime gross of its predecessor, 2016’s Moana, which brought in US$643 million worldwide.
Moana 2 picks up three years after the events of the first film, with Moana now a respected leader and wayfinder for her people. However, a new challenge emerges when she receives a vision from her ancestors, calling her to journey to the far reaches of Oceania and lift a curse on a hidden island called Motufetu.
Over the weekend, Moana 2 continued its dominance, adding US$103.5 million across 52 international markets and another US$52 million in North America. France has emerged as the strongest international market, contributing US$32.5 million to the total. The United Kingdom, Germany, and Mexico follow closely with US$27.2 million, US$19.7 million, and US$19.1 million, respectively.
Elsewhere, Warner Bros.’ anime fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim had a modest start, earning just US$2 million from 31 territories. Set 183 years before Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the film’s top-performing markets included Spain with US$347,000, Mexico with US$239,000, and Thailand with US$146,000. The movie will expand to North America and additional territories on 13 December.
In another milestone, Universal’s Wicked has surpassed US$400 million worldwide, with US$320 million domestically and US$135 million internationally. However, the musical adaptation struggled in China, debuting at only US$1.2 million across 8,900 screens, ranking eighth in the country’s box office charts.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s Gladiator II added US$17 million from international markets, bringing its overseas total to US$235 million and global earnings to US$368.4 million. Amazon MGM’s Red One, a Christmas action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, garnered US$3.5 million from 75 international markets, pushing its global total to US$164 million. Initially planned as a streaming release, the film’s theatrical earnings are a modest win for Amazon MGM and Warner Bros., though its US$250 million production budget makes it one of the year’s biggest theatrical underperformers.
With Moana 2 maintaining its robust momentum and Wicked and Gladiator II continuing to draw audiences, the global box office is showing strong signs of recovery. However, mixed performances from other releases suggest that the industry still faces challenges in balancing blockbuster budgets with audience expectations.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Sylus from Love and Deepspace.
