Moana 2 will hit theaters on November 27, 2024. The first Moana is available to stream on Disney+.
Moana 2 Shows That Disney Is Finally Listening To Its Fans About Sequels
Disney has placed a heavy focus on tried-and-true franchises like Frozen and Toy Story over the past few years, but it’s been selective about which stories receive sequels. With Toy Story up to five movies and Frozen confirmed for four, the studio appeared to be putting all its eggs in the same baskets. This was despite calls for other hit films to get sequels, including Moana. With Moana 2 finally happening, Disney might be listening to its audiences rather than depending solely on franchises that have worked before.
Disney’s MCU issues prove that continuously mining prior successes isn’t necessarily the right path forward. While the upcoming Frozen sequels and Toy Story 5 are likely to do numbers at the box office, they’re not necessarily sequels that people are asking for. That could hurt their performance overall, and it may create a lack of trust between consumer and studio. Audiences want studios to create the content they’re actually looking for — and Moana 2 offers the perfect chance to prove that. In fact, its success could determine whether other highly demanded Disney sequels and spinoffs happen after.
Moana 2’s Success Could Spawn Other Highly Demanded Sequels & Spinoffs
If Moana 2 proves more successful than the first film, Disney may realize that delivering on highly demanded sequels is a better approach than depending on just one or two series. The studio has plenty of big hits that are overdue for sequels, including 2010’s Tangled, 2014’s Big Hero Six, and 2021’s Encanto. Like Moana, these are films that had huge impacts but were never tapped to their full potential.
Likewise, Pixar series like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo had more life in them, and they could have been as expansive and successful as Toy Story. Moana 2 can demonstrate the need for Disney to focus on all its popular properties, not just those that make the most money. And doing so could help the studio overcome its recent box office struggles, benefiting the company and its fans in the long run.