Entertainment
'Moana 2' was destined for streaming. Now it's breaking box office records
Walt Disney Co.’s animated sequel “Moana 2” has navigated its way to No. 1 at the box office with a record-breaking domestic Thanksgiving weekend debut, a remarkable feat considering that this big-screen return to Motunui almost didn’t happen.
Led again by actors Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, “Moana 2” scored $221 million domestically for the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, with a worldwide gross of $386.3 million, according to Sunday studio estimates. That easily topped the previous domestic Thanksgiving record-holder, Disney’s 2019 blockbuster “Frozen 2.”
The stellar numbers placed “Moana 2” ahead of Universal Pictures’ heavily marketed musical “Wicked,” which raked in an impressive $117.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $262.4 million so far. Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II” came in third place with $44 million for a total of $111.2 million to date.
The sequel to “Moana,” the 2016 animated adventure story, was originally intended as a series for the Disney+ streaming service. But the company changed course, announcing the move in February during its fiscal first quarter earnings call.
“We were impressed with what we saw, and we knew it deserved a theatrical release,” Chief Executive Bob Iger said during the call.
The strategy change signaled Disney’s optimism in the theatrical market and its ability to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, as well as its role in bolstering subscriber growth and retention for Disney+ — a key metric for the company as it continues to build out the financial strength of the streaming service.
“They’ve got to make movies and release them theatrically because that’s their business,” said Joe Rosenberg, director of industry relations at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. “This idea that they were going to chase Netflix and win with the strategy they had, I think that proved to be a strategy for all companies that didn’t quite work.”
The original “Moana” was wildly successful, garnering more than $643 million worldwide at the box office. The film’s soundtrack was populated with several hits, including the anthem “How Far I’ll Go,” which has become a staple of family car rides and follows a generations-long tradition of famous Disney songs. (In addition to the animated sequel, a live-action “Moana” film is also in the works.)
Reviews are far more mixed for the sequel, but that‘s not stopping families from rushing out over the holiday. The reported budget for the film was $150 million.
The move to put “Moana 2” in theaters rather than send it straight to streaming is an about-face from the strategy Disney previously employed to build its service.
After Disney+ launched in 2019 at a bargain-basement price, the company put its efforts into producing dozens of shows specifically for the streamer, in an attempt to build subscriber interest and loyalty. During the COVID-19 pandemic under then-Chief Executive Bob Chapek, Disney sent a handful of Pixar movies straight to Disney+, including the acclaimed “Turning Red.”
But that proved expensive, costing Disney billions of dollars of box office revenue left on the table. After returning in 2022 as CEO of the company, Iger announced a multibillion-dollar cost-cutting plan that led to thousands of layoffs with the intention of refocusing Disney on the quality of content, rather than quantity.
Delivering “Moana 2” to theaters is a sign of Disney’s confidence in the project, Rosenberg said. Though the theatrical market is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, Disney hit gold twice already this year with billion-dollar box office titles “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
“When you look at films like ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ and others where people really went to the movies and enjoyed the experience, you start to realize, ‘Wait a minute — theatrical is a good business,’” Rosenberg said. “We can make a lot of money on the right films that we release first theatrically, and then streaming becomes that second window after theatrical.”
That means Disney can double-dip — not only will the company squeeze out dollars from the theatrical release but the buzz around “Moana 2” can also fuel interest in seeing it later on Disney+. Company executives have previously said that new theatrical releases also fuel interest in prior installments of a franchise, such as a boost in Disney+ sign-ups to view 2015’s “Inside Out” as well as prior “Deadpool” and “Planet of the Apes” films.
Higher-quality content on the streaming service can increase subscriber growth, reduce churn and justify price hikes, said Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at Bernstein.
Disney increased prices on its streaming service in October, shortly after “Inside Out 2” was available on the platform and about a month before “Deadpool & Wolverine” arrived there.
“At the end of the day, the business model is to maximize revenue on that content investment,” he said.
The triple threat of “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” has boosted theater owners after a lackluster fall. Movies grossed a total of $420 million in the U.S. and Canada over the five-day weekend, according to Comscore. So far this year, the box office has tallied $7.8 billion, down about 6% from a year ago.
Entertainment
Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman
Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.
Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):
Channel 1
3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo
Channel 2
3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus
Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour
1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo
Sirius XM Y’Allternative
5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows
Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.
What Makes It Work
The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.
Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.
The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.
Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.
Nailed It
This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.
The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!
The Verdict
This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.
Entertainment
Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns
A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.
Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.
In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.
As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.
He is seeking $35 million in damages.
Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit comes a week after a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had operated a monopoly over major concert venues, controlling 86% of the concert market.
Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”
Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.
Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.
Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”
In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.
Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”
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