Australia just had its biggest weekend at the cinemas since Barbenheimer

December 2, 2024 1:45

AN EXPANSIVE NEW VOYAGE -- Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” sends Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) on an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, “Moana 2” features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. The all-new feature film opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Australia has just enjoyed its biggest weekend at the cinemas in almost 18 months.

As confirmed by Val Morgan on Monday, the power of three blockbuster films – Moana 2, Wicked and Gladiator II – has seen the Australian box office record $24 million this past weekend, marking the biggest weekend for local cinemas since Barbenheimer – Barbie and Oppenheimer – brought in $31.4 million in July 2023.

It is also now the biggest weekend of the year, pulling ahead of the Deadpool & Wolverine opening earlier this year, which delivered $23.7 million.

Moana 2 was the difference, however, after the highly-anticipated Disney sequel opened last Thursday to $1.76 million at the Australian box office, making the film the highest grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios opening day of all time.

The film also had the second biggest opening weekend of 2024 behind Deadpool & Wolverine ($12.3 million) and the third biggest opening of all time for an animated film, behind The Simpsons Movie (2007) and Shrek 2 (2024).

Deadpool & Wolverine

“We anticipated Moana 2 would be a major cultural moment for family audiences, and it has more than lived up to that,” Val Morgan Cinema managing director, Guy Burbridge, said.

“With its record-breaking success over the weekend of delivering $24 million, Moana 2 is now ranked as one of the most successful animated films of all time.”

Australian cinemas will be able to ride on the success of Moana 2, Wicked and Gladiator II for a few more weeks at least, before two more big films – Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – hit screens.