Walt Disney Animation Studios has achieved a historic milestone with the release of *Moana 2*, marking its biggest domestic animation debut of all time. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the film raked in an astonishing $135.5 million for its three-day debut and an eye-popping $221 million over five days. These figures not only surpass the previous record held by *Frozen II* from 2019, which grossed $130.2 million in its opening three days, but also solidify *Moana 2* as a massive triumph for Disney’s animation division.

In addition to setting these records, Disney proudly announced several other noteworthy achievements for *Moana 2*, including:

Major Records Achieved

The biggest Thanksgiving weekend of all time

The largest Thanksgiving debut in history

Record-breaking Thanksgiving Day earnings, reaching $28 million

Highest-ever Black Friday box office with $54.5 million

The biggest five-day opening of all time

While *Moana 2* ignited conversations around its impressive numbers, it's essential to note that it fell slightly short of surpassing *The Lion King* remake’s five-day tally of $243.2 million. This is attributed to Hollywood accounting practices, which count a five-day opening based solely on a Wednesday-to-Sunday release window.

The film has come as a much-needed relief for Disney Animation, especially following the underwhelming performance of recent titles like *Wish* and *Strange World*. *Moana 2* has now secured the title of the fifth-best animated film opening weekend ever, trailing only behind blockbusters such as *The Lion King* (2019), *Incredibles 2*, *Inside Out 2*, and *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

Internationally, the film generated impressive revenue, pulling in $165 million globally. This brings its total box office earnings for the weekend to a staggering $386 million. France emerged as the top international market, delivering $18.8 million and claiming the title of the highest-animated opening weekend ever in that territory. Meanwhile, *Moana 2* made significant marks in Italy and Brazil, where it logged the second-highest animated weekends on record.

Furthermore, Walt Disney Animation Studios celebrated its best opening across Latin America and achieved record launches in 30 different markets worldwide. The most lucrative foreign markets included France, the U.K. ($15.5 million), Mexico ($11.1 million), Germany ($10.5 million), and others, showcasing *Moana 2*'s wide-ranging appeal across different audiences.

As Disney continues to ride the wave of *Moana 2*'s success, it promises to be a pivotal moment in the studio's ongoing legacy of animated storytelling. Fans are now eagerly speculating what this means for future projects and whether we can expect more adventures from Moana and her friends!