In 2020, in the course of the peak of the leisure business’s love affair with streaming, a follow-up to Disney‘s animated smash “Moana” was destined to turn out to be a tv collection for Disney+.

However just like the shapeshifting demigod Maui, who traverses the seven seas with the eponymous Polynesian warrior within the movie, the mission has reworked into one thing solely new. In a shock transfer, the follow-up to “Moana” has been retooled right into a characteristic movie, which is ready to debut in theaters on Nov. 27.

It’s a boon for cinemas after final summer time’s strikes compelled studios to postpone loads of blockbusters to 2025 and past. It additionally indicators Disney’s renewed pleasure for the massive display at a time when Hollywood has began to desire the economics of promoting film tickets to a enterprise mannequin that was all about making an attempt to steal Netflix’s thunder.

“Moana 2” joins the studio’s upcoming “Alien” spinoff “Romulus” and 2022’s horror movie “Barbarian,” in addition to Paramount’s “Imply Women” film musical and psychological thriller “Smile,” as initiatives that had been commissioned for streaming however finally scored unique theatrical releases.

“Disney’s technique is not about spending quite a bit on streaming content material in hopes of attracting [Disney+] subscribers,” says Eric Handler, a senior analysis analyst at Roth MKM. “They’re asking, ‘How can we maximize income and profitability?’”

After a lot trial and error (and loads of time in the course of the pandemic to experiment), conventional studios — and a few streamers — have primarily deduced the perfect monetary worth is present in releasing films completely in theaters. A theatrical-first debut is seen as producing consciousness and buzz to gas income from secondary home windows, corresponding to house leisure, DVD gross sales and eventual Disney+ debuts. That’s to not point out all of the ancillary goodies — each client product attainable, from dolls, nightgowns, water bottles and slippers, has Moana’s face on it — that include making a kid-friendly movie.

Past the additional coinage, there’s hope that theatrical releases result in a longer-lasting cultural impression. There’s an argument that straight-to-streaming films are inclined to shortly vanish from the dialog. “Moana” provides the perfect case of putting up with demand over eight years. The 2016 movie was successful for Disney, grossing greater than $680 million on the world field workplace. It’s now resonating with new generations after exploding in reputation final 12 months on Disney+. The musical journey was the most-streamed film of 2023 within the U.S. with 11.6 billion minutes watched, in line with Nielson.

“Theaters have a confirmed observe document of bringing consciousness and cash,” Chris Randleman, chief income officer of the Texas-based Flix Brewhouse chain. “It’s superior to see studios change again to the standard mannequin, which all the time labored.”

Disney routinely debuts an animated film round Thanksgiving, however it not has a flawless Turkey Day observe document. Current vacation releases, corresponding to 2023’s “Want” and 2022’s “Unusual World,” had been large disappointments. In the meantime, 2021’s “Encanto” didn’t turn out to be a viral TikTok sensation till the musical fable landed on Disney+ greater than a month later. These misfires had been opposite to pre-pandemic hits like 2013’s “Frozen” and its 2019 sequel, in addition to 2018’s “Ralph Breaks the Web” and 2017’s “Coco.” Analysts imagine a part of the issue is that a number of COVID-era Pixar films skipped theaters to completely debut on Disney’s new streaming service, inadvertently coaching audiences to look at family-friendly films at house.

“They will’t have one other whiff,” Handler says. “A beloved franchise is an optimum Thanksgiving launch.”

“Moana 2” will land in theaters on the identical day as Common’s “Depraved Half 1,” the primary of two big-budget variations of the long-running Broadway musical. There’s nonetheless an opportunity that both launch might barely tweak its November launch date. However cinema house owners don’t seem like frightened about the specter of cannibalization between two musical films that attraction to the identical feminine viewers. “Barbenheimer,” the nickname for the extremely memed same-day viewings of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” final summer time, proved the facility of counterprogramming — so long as films have the standard to match the hype.

“It’s an enormous win for theaters,” says Randleman. “‘Moana 2’ and ‘Depraved’ are totally different sufficient that each can coexist.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger shared on the corporate’s newest earnings name that “Moana 2” was modified right into a film after executives had been wowed by the early footage. “We had been impressed with what we noticed and knew it deserved a theatrical launch,” he mentioned.

However Disney has discovered the onerous manner that model familiarity is not sufficient to persuade audiences to hit up their closest multiplex. In 2023, “The Marvels,” “Haunted Mansion” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Future” had been among the many sequels and remakes that missed field workplace expectations for the corporate. “The Little Mermaid” struggled to start out however finally rebounded with $569 million globally.

“The film nonetheless must be good,” Handler says. “Loads of sequels have flopped as a result of the standard is unhealthy.”

Film theaters additionally danger oversaturation of “Moana” specifically. The studio is growing a separate, live-action model with Dwayne Johnson returning because the tattooed deity Maui, who he voiced within the authentic movie. Although it’s slated to hit theaters on June 27, 2025, it’ll seemingly be postponed to place a ways between the Polynesian adventures.

Although Auli’i Cravalho isn’t returning for the live-action remake, she and Johnson are reprising their voice roles within the animated “Moana 2.” Not all the authentic expertise is revisiting the island of Motunui. Disney veterans John Musker and Ron Clements (of “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules”) handed directing duties to Dave Derrick Jr., whose credit embrace “Raya and the Final Dragon” and “Encanto.”

Notably, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who penned “How Far I’ll Go,” “You’re Welcome” and different earworms from the primary “Moana,” gained’t be again both. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical,” are writing new songs with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who labored on the primary movie.

The sequel reportedly begins as Moana receives an “surprising name from her wayfinding ancestors” and should “journey to the far seas of Oceania and into harmful, long-lost waters for an journey in contrast to something she’s ever confronted.” The sequel might face a equally unpredictable and regularly perilous theatrical panorama, dealing with the duty of placing Disney’s animated productions again on high on the field workplace.