Neither Star Wars nor Marvel: With 80 billion minutes watched, it’s the most-watched movie in streaming history

We’re talking about an 8-year-old animated feature film about a Pacific Island girl trying to find her place in the world… Did you find it? It’s definitely Wayana (or Moana for fans of the original version)!

Indeed, since the launch of the Disney+ streaming service in late 2019, Moana, Legend of the End of the World, from its full French title, is one of the four most-watched movies every year, all streaming services combined, respectively. A company specializing in Nielsen data (via Bloomberg). Fans watched nearly 80 billion minutes Moana : This is equivalent to 748 million views of the film. It was also in the streaming top 10 for most of the year.

It all bodes well for the franchise’s next chapter, Moana 2 , which hits theaters on November 27, the coveted Thanksgiving weekend in the United States. Moana 2 It should also help bring back Mickey’s studio, which has produced a number of hits this year, including Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine and Alien: Romulus.

Moreover, Fandango, the largest US online ticketing service, said Moana 2 It has already recorded the best first-day advance ticket sales of any animated film this year, including Vice-Versa 2 , which has earned nearly $1.7 billion at the box office since its June release.

“Some insiders tell me they think Moana 2 could eclipse and even surpass the success of Vice-Versa 2 .Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest movie theater chain, said during a conference call with investors on Nov. 6 (also according to Bloomberg).

According to some estimates, Moana 2 It is on track to earn $135 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada during its five-day opening weekend. That puts it ahead of the original film, which grossed $82 million over the 2016 long weekend. time. However, it was nominated for two Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (though it came up empty-handed).

Wayana, shooting star: causes

What if Moana So it’s not in the top 30 highest grossing animated films of all time, but it wins on the streaming side. Indeed, what really gave the film momentum was its airing on Disney+ – where it is therefore the most-watched animated film of all time according to Nielsen – and especially its appearance online at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to some parents of young fans, like little Leo from New Jersey, the feature film, with its scenes of ocean and island life, turned out to be an escape for the children and their parents facing prison: in any case, this is what his mother, Andrea Coppola, testified .

Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack, which includes powerful ballads like “Le Bleu Lumière” (“How Far I’ll Go”), also resonated. The album has sold 5.6 million copies according to Luminate Data, more than Coco and Encanto, two other recent Disney musicals combined.

The film is also based on “An updated feminist formulaA Disney princess going on an adventure, Kirsten Thompson, chair of Seattle University’s film and media department, said in an interview. Animation – including tattoos, tribal clothing and bioluminescent water – added to the appeal.

“It all adds up to a stunning visual feastsaid Thompson (via Bloomberg ), whose middle name happens to be Moana, which loosely translates to deep or clear waters.

From series to sequel

Disney planned this from the beginning Moana 2 will be a TV series for its Disney+ streaming service. When the film scheduled for Thanksgiving did not air, CEO Bob Iger asked film director Alan Bergman if he had any suggestions for a replacement. Bergman suggested that the plot of the series could be shortened to fit the length of the film, in addition to including more cinematic footage to make it suitable for theatrical release. Iger said he thought the result was excellent.

“I saw it six timeshe said earlier this month at a fundraiser for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

That said, unlike the first film, there is no new music Lin-Manuel Miranda. Auli’i Cravalho (Simple Girls, Lolita, Despite Me), who lent her voice (spoken and sung) to the main character in the original version at the age of 16, returns as Wayana, alongside Dwayne Johnson. As for him, his role as Maui, the worshipful shape-shifting demigod—all in the original version. Don’t worry, on the French side, your little French speakers will also find familiar tones, with Cerise Calixte and Anthony Kavanagh once again voicing the two main characters.

The new film sees a young woman and her crew embark on a new adventure after an unexpected invitation from her ancestors, a journey that takes her to the dangerous waters off the Pacific Islands. There he experiences adventures like never before.

Seattle University’s Kirsten Thompson said the sequel simply shouldn’t try “Repackage the magic of the first movie – it will have to have its own very good soundtrack and tell some kind of new story, maybe a character goes to another island or deeper water.“Answer very soon.

Disney has also planned a live-action version of the film for next year: so we’re not done talking about Moana.

Moana 2 will premiere in Hawaii before being released in theaters around the world. The film will be released in theaters on November 27.

Watch its trailer below: