Moana 2could be one of the biggest box office hits of 2024, but it appears Disney’s confidence is faltering, as the review embargo lifts just hours before the first public showings.Moana 2takes place three years after the previous film and sees Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) venture back out onto the ocean after a curse hits her homeland. She assembles her own crew and reunites with Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to face down numerous threats.Moanahas become one of the crown jewels in Disney’s canon, with the film being themost-watched movie on Disney+, so the news of a sequel was met with a warm welcome. So why is Disney trying to hold back a tidal wave of new reviews?
Editor-in-Chief ofThe Hollywood HandleRicardo Aymar posted on hisX(formerly Twitter) account that the review embargo forMoana 2will lift at 12pm ET on May 30, 2025, just hours before the first Tuesday preview screenings, and one day before the film’s official release date (viaThe Direct). Aymar said he was"Surprised [at] how late it is..,“and fans are likely just as surprised,given that the sequel is one of the most anticipated films of the year, and that the firstMoanais a well-regarded modern Disney classic, boasting a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
When a movie gets a late embargo, that’s typically not a good sign, as it tends to signal that the studio doesn’t have confidence in the film. By holding reviews back until the last minute, a studio might think it can stifle negative word-of-mouth and maximize box-office potential. Many famously bad movies have had late review embargoes, including 2015’sFantastic Fourand the recent Lionsgate bombBorderlands.A Good Day to Die Hardinfamously did not lift its review embargo until midnight the day it opened. However, not all movies that have late review embargoes are terrible films. Disney employed a similar tactic withChristopher Robinin 2018, when the embargo was lifted the day before its release, and many were surprised at the positive word-of-mouth the movie received, earning a solid 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and being labeled by some as thebest Disney live-action remake. So, this might not be a dealbreaker forMoana 2, but it is concerning.
Disney Is on the Defensive With ‘Moana 2’
Disney’s decision to keep the review embargo forMoana 2close to the film’s debut might stem in part from a lack of confidence at the studio following its 2023 slate of films. Disney was rather bullish on its releases that year, withIndiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyandElementalscreening at the Cannes Film Festival a month before their theatrical releases. Both movies received mixed reviews from critics, which turned into negative words for a whole month before either film hit theaters. Disney lifted the review embargo forWishfive days before the movie was released, thinking it would be a big hit. The opposite was true, asWishgarnered largely negative reviews, and the buzz going into the film’s opening weekend was not positive.Wishultimately bombed at the box office.
Moana 2’s Creative Team Explain How They Transformed a Long-Gestating TV Show into a Surprise Movie
The filmmakers behind Moana 2 explain why it was changed from a television show to a movie and how that changed the story.
Moana 2was originally a Disney+ series that was re-edited into a feature film, so fans have been nervous to see if the sequel will be on par with the original film or if it will feel like those direct-to-video Disney sequels that stitched together various episodes of a planned television show, likeBelle’s Magical WorldorCinderella II: Dreams Come True. Disney has a lot invested inMoana 2. After three Thanksgiving weekends in a row of box office underperformers (Encanto) and flops (Strange World,Wish),Moana 2is set to make waves in what’sestimated to be the biggest opening Thanksgiving holiday weekend. While audiences might rush out to go see the movie, it remains to be seen ifMoana 2can maintain box-office returns in the following weeks and reach the heights of its predecessor.
