**Moana 2 Makes Waves with Record-Breaking Thanksgiving Box Office Debut**

Disney's highly-anticipated animated sequel, Moana 2, has taken the Thanksgiving box office by storm, setting numerous records and amassing significant earnings. Opening with a remarkable $57.5 million on Wednesday, which includes $13.8 million from previews, the film is projected to accumulate over $175 million through the five-day holiday period. Rival studio estimates even suggest the figure could soar past $200 million, potentially hitting $225 million or more - a milestone Disney will confirm on Friday after recalibrating for accuracy.

The sequel has already broken several records, surpassing the previous Thanksgiving five-day opening record held by Frozen at $94 million. It is also on track to vượt lên leading the box office earnings for this period, beating Frozen II's record of $125 million. Moana 2 achieved the highest opening day ever for a Walt Disney Animation title and secured the third-biggest opening day for any animated movie behind Incredibles 2 and Inside Out 2, when not adjusted for inflation. It also marked the third-highest single day of 2024, trailing only Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.

Originally developed as a TV series before evolving into a theatrical sequel, Moana 2 has exceeded expectations, thanks in part to new songs by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. The film, produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino and directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, reunites voice talents Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. In this new adventure, Moana navigates long-lost waters following an ancestral call, with Johnson reprising his role as the demigod Maui.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 66 percent compared to 95 percent for its predecessor, audience reception remains strong, evidenced by an 88 percent score on the "popcornmeter" and an A- CinemaScore. These indicators reflect robust viewer enthusiasm, propelling the film to a strong performance on PostTrak as well.

The Thanksgiving box office has been invigorated not only by Moana 2 but also by other high-profile releases. Universal's Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu and featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is poised to gross $97.1 million over the five-day span after an impressive $112 million launch the previous weekend. This makes it the highest-grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical to date, with expected domestic totals exceeding $240 million by Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, starring Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal, is holding a solid third place, projected to earn $40 million over the holiday period. The combination of these blockbusters has set the stage for a record-breaking overall revenue for the Thanksgiving weekend, anticipated to go well beyond $315 million.