It's already time to rediscover Moana 2 on Disney+. Less than a year after its theatrical release, the film by Dana Ledoux Miller and Jared Bush was offered to viewers last November, and it is now joining the American platform's catalog. On August 28, 2025, Disney+ subscription holders will have a date with the azure expanses of the animated saga.
An integration that might seem rushed, given that until recently, users had to wait 17 months before finding a theatrically released film on Disney+. How can we explain this sudden acceleration? No, Moana 2 did not benefit from an exception.
Disney+ played its hand well
Last January, Disney+ announced that it had concluded two agreements with film and audiovisual organizations. In the midst of discussions on the media chronology, the American company secured an advantageous position in exchange for greater investments in French creation. The company will invest 25% of its annual net revenue generated in France to finance European and French cinematographic and audiovisual works.
In exchange, the platform can now offer its films nine months after their theatrical release, compared to 17 previously. Moana 2 is one of the first films to benefit from this new agreement. It is with Deadpool & Wolverine that the company had inaugurated its new position in the media timeline.
Since then, users have been able to enjoy early access to Alien: Romulus, to name just one. This new configuration will also allow users to discover Captain America: Brave New World starting in November and the live-action Lilo & Stitch in February 2026. The Lion King: Mufasa is expected to be available in September of this year.
A new hit for the princess?
The release of Moana 2 should be an event for Disney+ in France. Upon its arrival on Disney+ in the United States, the film had totaled 27.3 million views in its first five days. It was the best launch for a program in 2025. After having long confined its animated offerings to the shelves of its platform, during the pandemic and after, Disney seems to have understood how to profit from its major releases.
Moana first of the name was also one of the examples cited by the company to explain the merits of betting on Disney+ as a means of exploiting the second life of a film rather than betting entirely on an SVoD release. Since 2022, the animated film has been in first place among the most-watched films on all platforms combined. In 2023, it had 108 million full views despite its release in 2016. After amassing $643 million at the global box office, the film by John Musker and Ron Clements continues to benefit the company with the big ears on the small screen.
By relying exclusively on Disney+ for this sequel, the company would be deprived of $1.05 billion in theaters. The Burbank company now hopes to attract as many fans through subscription streaming and place the second film at the top of the annual American SVoD ranking.
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