The Walt Disney Company’s box office dominance continued over the holiday weekend with “Moana 2” surpassing $1 billion during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. This achievement marked the studio’s third 2024 release to reach this milestone, following Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool and Wolverine” and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2.” Notably, no other Hollywood studio had a film cross the $1 billion mark the previous year.
“Moana 2” grossed $442.8 million at the domestic box office and $567.1 million in international markets, as reported by the company over the weekend. It joins the ranks of Walt Disney Animation’s films that have exceeded $1 billion in ticket sales, including “Frozen,” “Frozen II,” and “Zootopia.”
This success is significant for Disney, which faced challenges in the post-pandemic years in gaining traction with its animated releases. The company’s struggles were partly attributed to the decision to premiere several animated features directly on its streaming service Disney+, leading to a shift in consumer behavior towards seeking new content at home even after theaters reopened.
“Inside Out 2” not only signaled a resurgence for Disney but also contributed to revitalizing the domestic box office in June. The film grossed over $650 million domestically and became the first movie since Warner Bros’ “Barbie” to surpass $1 billion at the global box office.
Moreover, “Inside Out 2” marked the first time since 2019 that a Pixar or Walt Disney Animation film generated over $480 million globally, ultimately becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024.
The success of “Deadpool and Wolverine,” “Inside Out 2,” and “Moana 2,” among other theatrical releases, propelled Disney to exceed $2.2 billion at the domestic box office last year, representing approximately 25% of the industry’s total earnings, according to Comscore data.
With “Moana 2” crossing the billion-dollar threshold, Disney now boasts 32 billion-dollar movies, including three films acquired through the Fox acquisition in 2019. Notably, out of the 56 films that have surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, Disney accounts for nearly 60% of the highest-grossing films in cinematic history.
