Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Moana 2' heading into theaters November 2024

Disney Irish5 days ago

There were still movies in late 2021/early 2022 that were released D+ or had a short theatrical window, 45 days or less, before pushing to D+. Just a quick few - Encanto Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings Nightmare Alley Turning Red The Bob's Burger Movie And while not all of these were likely blockbusters, Shang-Chi, Encanto, and Turning Red were meant to be. It wasn't until mid-2022 before they went fully back to theatrical. I know it seems like a long time ago, but it was only last year in 2023 that was really the first full year since 2019 they were full theatrical.

Miss Rori5 days ago

I'll chalk their not mentioning Alien: Romulus (and the success it's seen in the process of going to theaters) as not exactly being on brand with a discussion of Moana 2. ;) But that is a good point. It is true that post-pandemic height the theatrical windows tended to be pretty short with films like Encanto and Strange World, but otherwise they've kept films around a while in theaters, possibly longer than other studios have before releasing them to digital purchase/rental platforms. It happened with Elemental and it certainly happened with Wish even when it became clear with the latter that next to no one wanted to see it (if they hadn't already in the first weekend) and it was being shunted to matinees only in the smallest auditorium in the multiplex. I still think that had Disney cut its losses and sent it to Disney+ for Christmas, they could have salvaged some of its potential audience; by the time it hit digital and Disney+ (missing multiple holiday weekends and periods where kids would have been at home!) anyone above 12 who cared probably heard more than enough about how bad it was. If anything, I got the sense from the article that Disney corporate wants everybody to forget Strange World and Wish ever happened.

Tha Realest5 days ago

I’m with @Miss Rori here. The “relegation” experiment really only lasted from late Spring 2020 through late summer 2021; by the fall of 2021 they stopped with the D+ or theatrical/D+ Premier Access stuff, and went back to reprioritizing their theatrical slate. They haven’t really pushed much from theaters down to D+ since then. It also ignores what Disney’s already done with Alien: Romulus.

LittleBuford6 days ago

I think you missed the point. It’s referring specifically to the film’s pivot from Disney+ to the cinema. The other films you listed were designed from the outset to be theatrical releases.

Miss Rori6 days ago

I found this bit of the article rather disingenuous, though I realize it's a puff piece: "After years of the studio relegating several projects to Disney+ or day-and-date releases (meaning to release on multiple platforms at once), Moana 2's pivot feels like a pointed reinvestment in the theatrical experience." As if Encanto, Strange World, and Wish weren't initially theatrical-only? Heck, Wish was malingering in theaters well into January.

DisneyWarrior277 days ago

Cover story out from Entertainment Weekly on Moana 2: https://ew.com/moana-2-disney-aulii-cravalho-dwayne-johnson-cover-story-8710022.

DisneyWarrior278 days ago

Looks like we have Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next animated theatrical short coming soon, and it’s called Versa, meaning it may play in front of Moana 2.

DisneyWarrior2710 days ago

Could just be an after-credits song. Also, Shiny was a late addition to the original Moana and that movie turned out fine.

Farerb10 days ago

Phroobar24 days ago

TsWade225 days ago

I hope Moana 2 is a critical and box office hit. I don’t want this to flop!🥺

Disney Irish30 days ago

Going with the wind theme, this can mean she can be both an ally or an enemy of the sea. So just like the first film she'll start out as an enemy but turn into an ally by Moana. Matangi is also the name of the Hindu goddess of music and learning....

MisterPenguin30 days ago

Matangi is Tongan for 'wind.'

TsWade230 days ago

I know a lot've you are disappointed of last year's villain from Wish (which I disagree), but it looks like we're getting another traditional villain for this sequel after all. Look: