If you're reading this, odds are you've at least seen some headline online to the effect of "'Moana 2' made a ridiculous amount of money at the box office." That's true. However, box office nerds such as myself have dug a lot deeper and can tell you that "Moana 2" absolutely shattered the Thanksgiving weekend record with a $386 million global debut over the five-day Wednesday-to-Sunday holiday stretch. As of this writing, the sequel has already made more than $405 million worldwide and will soon be one of the top 10 biggest movies of the year across the planet. Not bad for a movie that was originally going to be a Disney+ TV series, eh?

That's truly the big point that needs to be examined here. Originally, Disney intended to make a "Moana" sequel that would have premiered directly on Disney+. Let's forget for a moment that it was intended to be a show, which was likely to help keep subscribers hooked for multiple weeks, rather than a one-and-done. The point is that Disney now has a monster global hit that has turned a beloved 2016 animated film into a full-on franchise. This certainly bodes well for the live-action "Moana" coming our way in 2026.

More than that, in a rational world, this would signify the death of the big direct-to-streaming movie. For years, Hollywood has been chasing the success that Netflix found in the streaming game. That accelerated after the pandemic began and Disney+ has been one of the most successful upstarts in this arena. That said, the benefit of a big theatrical release as opposed to a direct-to-streaming title is clear.

There's simply no longer a rational argument for the latter release strategy. It's been clear for some time, admittedly, but "Moana 2" should be the final nail in the coffin.