Moana 2 makes waves at the box office to deliver the biggest opening for an animated film in 20 years.
Moana 2 has made waves at the New Zealand box office over its opening weekend, delivering 153,000 admissions and $3.1 million at the box office.
This result marks the largest opening weekend for an animated film ever, overtaking the 20-year record held by Shrek 2.
In New Zealand, the combination of Gladiator II, Wicked and Moana 2 has helped drive 230,000 admissions across the weekend – the second biggest weekend result of the year.
It was a huge weekend at the box office, with Moana 2 setting sail to become not only one of the biggest films of 2024, but one of the biggest animated films of all time.
In New Zealand, the film earned $3.1 million over its Wednesday to Sunday opening weekend (including preview screenings).
The record-breaking box office earnings mark the largest opening for an animated film ever, smashing the 20-year record previously held by Shrek 2. This opening weekend performance is three times larger than the debut of the original Moana in 2016.
The film amassed 153,000 admissions, skewing 60% female, and 46% of the total audience was delivered from the P25-54 demographic. 8,500 of the total admissions also came from the Moana 2 Reo Māori version, which was the first time in history an animated film has been released in English and local Indigenous language at the same time
Moana 2's international opening has also shattered records worldwide, grossing an impressive $386 million.
“Moana 2's record-breaking opening as the highest-grossing animated film ever in New Zealand highlights its broad appeal and the strong demand for family content,” said Matt Tremain, Sales Director of Val Morgan Cinema New Zealand.
Moviegoers had no shortage of choice over the weekend, as Gladiator II, Wicked, and Moana 2 dominated the box office. Together, the films drove the second highest weekend admissions result of 2024, behind the opening weekend of Inside Out 2.
Tremain added “This weekend is just the start of what we’re expecting to be a huge summer of cinema, with Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also releasing in just a few weeks. There is simply no better time for brands to be advertising in cinema.”
Looking ahead to next year, Paddington in Peru, We Live in Time, Captain America: Brave New World, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Sinners and the live-action adaptation Snow White are all releasing between January to March.
*Source: CineTAM 2024