Disney has usedMoana 2’s story to set it up as the perfect replacement for a different, massively successful franchise. The 2025 film has performed well at the box office and with critics, ensuring that the House of Mouse will continue diving deeper into this tale. What’s more,Moana 2’s success couldn’t have come at a better time for Disney since the animation studio had been hit or miss with its recent releases. It’s been tough for anything to stack up to the kind of profit and social impact resulting from theFrozenfranchise, but it certainly seems thatMoana 2is on its way.
Very few Disney Princess (or adjacent) movies get theatrical sequels, andMoanawas initially meant only to get a Disney+ spinoffseries rather than a feature film continuation. However, the House of Mouse changed gears at the last second, and the TV show project was made into a new movie.Moana2’s post-credits sceneimplies that further movies are also on the way. It seemsDisney is going all in with Moana’s story, just like it did with Elsa and Anna in theFrozenfranchise. In fact,Moana 2has already set up some similarities.
Moana & Simea Makes The Franchise Incredibly Similar To Frozen
A Magical Girl With Her Normal Sister
Moana 2revealed that Chief Tui and Sina had another daughter in the years since the 2016Moana’s ending. Moana shares a deep connection with little sister Simea, and though quite different in many ways,this sororal relationship is reminiscent ofFrozen’s Elsa and Anna. One sister is magical, while the other is normal. One frequently places herself in danger, while the other is forced to watch and wait. Finally, one sister in bothMoanaandFrozenhas a deity-like destiny, while the other is meant to play a more traditional leadership role (eventually, in Simea’s case).
Moana Has A Promising Future
Elsa and Anna in Frozen
Overall, it’s no big surprise that Disney would attempt to bring subtle elements and dynamics of one successful franchise into the sequels of another.Frozenis Disney’s central animated studio’s most profitable franchise, grossing about $2.7 billion at the global box office betweenFrozenandFrozen2.Moanacertainly ranks high as well, with the2016 movie bringing in $643 million globally, whileMoana 2has so far managed another $617 million. This success doesn’t quite stack up againstFrozen, but these numbers are no slouch either. What’s more, there’s still plenty of time for theMoanafranchise to catch up.
The end-credits scene ofMoana 2sets Nalo up as a recurring villain, implying more sequels of spinoffs are in the works.
There’s not much word about what Disney plans to do next withMoana, but theending ofMoana 2more than implies that more sequels are on the way. TheFrozenmovies, on the other hand, have never so overtly set up sequels. Both movies were ended as if that would be the end, thus ensuring that the franchise didn’t get left in a perpetual cliffhanger if it didn’t perform well enough.The fact that Disney is obviously counting on moreMoanasequels implies confidence in the franchise and story, which means future sequels could eventually bring the franchise’s box office numbers higher than evenFrozen.
Frozen’s Franchise Future Explains Why Disney Is Making Moana Its Replacement
Frozen 3 & 4 Will Be The End
Disney has confirmed two more sequels for Anna and Elsa’s stories inFrozen, but it appears this will be the end. Both films are in the works and expected tobe released fairly close to one another (2027 forFrozen 3and within a few years fromthat forFrozen 4). Of course, this means there are still a good handful of years before theFrozenfranchise comes to a definitive close. Still, Disney must plan ahead. This has been the company’s most lucrative franchise for years, soit’s wise that something else is lined up to take its place.
By giving Moana a sister, the winning element of Frozen has been carried over from one franchise to the other.
The firstMoanamovie was not only successful at the box office, but its social and streaming impact has been out of this world.It is one of the most streamed movies on Disney+, beating out theFrozenmovies in this regard. There is clearly potential in Moana’s story, and Disney is smart enough to take advantage of this. By giving Moana a sister, the winning element ofFrozenhas been carried over from one franchise to the other. Still, there are enough differences thatMoanaremains unique. While only time will tell what direction this franchise will go, it’s certainly on the way to becoming Disney’s new figurehead.
Moana 2
Cast
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
