Why Moana Is Set to Replace Frozen as Disney’s Top Franchise

Disney’s Moana 2 is positioning itself as the perfect successor to the Frozen franchise, which has grossed an impressive $2.7 billion globally.

The 2025 film has already performed well at the box office and with critics, ensuring Disney will continue exploring Moana’s story.

After some hit-or-miss releases, Moana 2’s success couldn’t have come at a better time for Disney, making it the ideal replacement for Frozen.

The Moana & Frozen Connection

While Moana was originally intended to have a Disney+ spinoff, the success of the original film led to the creation of a theatrical sequel.

In Moana 2, Moana is revealed to have a little sister, Simea, which mirrors the Elsa and Anna dynamic from Frozen.

Moana, like Elsa, has a unique, almost magical destiny, while Simea, like Anna, will eventually take on a more traditional leadership role. This setup echoes the Frozen dynamic of one sister being magical and the other normal.

Box Office Performance

Although Moana 2 hasn’t reached the global box office success of Frozen yet, it’s still performed strongly, grossing $617 million so far.

This is impressive, considering the Frozen films grossed about $2.7 billion globally. With more sequels in the works, Moana has plenty of time to catch up and possibly surpass Frozen in the long run.

The Future of Moana

The post-credits scene of Moana 2 hints at the return of Nalo, a recurring villain, and suggests that more sequels or spinoffs are in the works.

Disney’s confidence in the franchise is clear, and the future looks bright for Moana, with more films potentially boosting the franchise’s box office numbers.

Frozen’s Ending and Moana’s Future

With Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 confirmed, these will likely be the final chapters for Elsa and Anna. Disney is planning ahead, and by giving Moana a sister, it has carried over the winning element of Frozen to its new franchise.

The first Moana film not only did well at the box office but also became one of the most streamed movies on Disney+, even surpassing Frozen in that regard.

In conclusion, Moana 2 is well on its way to becoming Disney’s new flagship franchise, with the potential to fill the gap left by Frozen as it winds down.