Moana 2 Is Repeating Disney’s $1.4 Billion Sequel Success In A Way That Makes Me Nervous

Moana 2 is poised to repeat the success of Disney’s $1.4 billion sequel — but the film could also repeat its mistakes if it isn’t careful. Disney’s Moana 2 announcement came as a surprise eight years after the original movie debuted. One huge 2023 stat makes sense of the Moana sequel, as the 2016 film hasn’t decreased in popularity. It’s somewhat surprising Disney didn’t green-light the follow-up sooner. Fortunately, the studio seems committed to turning it around quickly and ensuring it delivers on everything that made the original great.

As with any good sequel, Moana 2 will expand on the storylines, characters, and settings introduced in the first film. There’s plenty of potential there, especially when it comes to the movie’s heroine taking on new roles as chief and wayfinder at the end of Moana. While the possibilities are exciting, there are also reasons to be concerned about the upcoming Disney sequel. After all, there are instances where building on the first successful film didn’t work as well as viewers’ hoped. Even Disney’s $1.4 billion sequel struggled in this regard.

Moana 2 Is Expanding Its World – Like Frozen 2 Did

Doing So Could Backfire If The Disney Sequel Doesn’t Handle It Well

Based on the Moana 2 footage shown at CinemaCon, the series’ lead will leave her home again and come into contact with water spirits in the sequel. This storyline feels all too familiar, as it’s similar to what happens with Elsa in Frozen 2. Frozen 2 was a $1.4 billion success for Disney, and it expanded the world established in the original film. Moana seems likely to do the same, with its main character facing a similar push-and-pull between her home and seeking out a greater purpose.

To be fair, both Moana’s character and the world she lives in are ripe for further exploration. And with Moana fans eagerly awaiting a sequel for the past eight years, it seems inevitable the 2024 sequel will repeat Frozen 2‘s $1.4 billion success. There’s little doubt that it will do well at the box office, especially with its promise to expand the original film’s lore. This is the perfect way to recapture the magic of the first installment, but Disney must take care to avoid repeating Frozen 2‘s mistakes as well.

Moana 2 Needs To Avoid Frozen 2’s Mistakes

The Disney Sequel Must Strike The Right Balance

While Frozen 2 saw success financially, its story got bogged down by its mythology, as the sequel took an ambitious approach to expanding on Elsa’s powers and the world outside Arendelle. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did cause Frozen 2 to raise more questions than it answered. Fortunately, the series will get the opportunity to clear up its lore in Frozen 3 and 4.

Moana 2 should avoid digging so deeply into its magic storylines and world-building that it forgets what makes the original work. Striking the right balance is key, and Moana 2 can be even better than Frozen 2 by doing so. After all, there’s no guarantee that the upcoming Disney film will have more sequels to flesh things out further — though many fans would certainly welcome more installments.

Moana 2

Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated adventure film about a young woman named Moana who journeys into the sea to end her island’s curse. The film will see the return of Dwayne Johnson as the eccentric and musical demigod, with Auli’i Cravalho expected to reprise her role.

Director

Dave Derrick Jr.

Release Date

November 27, 2024

Studio(s)

Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Runtime

107 Minutes

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