Disney’s $2B Fantasy Adventure Franchise Roars Back To Life On Streaming Ahead Of Major New Release

Published Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Disney's $2 billion fantasy adventure franchise is roaring back to life on streaming ahead of a major new release that's coming soon. Disney has a number of iconic, multi-billion-dollar franchises to its name, particularly when it comes to numerous movie universes under its umbrella. This is especially the case with some of its more recent animated outings, from the Frozen movies to the Zootopia films, both of which have proven themselves popular adventure franchises for the company. However, there's another relatively recent series that's quickly become one of Disney's most iconic of all time.

That film series is Moana. Released in 2016, the animated adventure film follows its lead character of the same name, who travels across the ocean to find and restore the relic of the goddess Te Fiti to save her island home. She joins forces with the demigod Maui in order to save her home, the pair going on a massive adventure in the process. The original movie was followed by a sequel, Moana 2, in 2024, while a live-action remake of Moana was released earlier in 2026.

The Moana Franchise Is Setting Sail Again On Disney+'s Top 10

Now, just a few months after its latest release, the Moana franchise has become a powerhouse on streaming once again. According to data from October 20, 2026, both Moana movies have made it into Disney+'s Top 10 in the United States. The streaming service reports that the original Moana sits at Number 5 on the platform, while Moana 2 has scored a spot at Number 9. Interestingly, it's the only non-Halloween franchise in the US Top 10, with other movies being from the Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown franchises, along with Casper, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It's not surprising Moana's managed to retain popularity given how well both movies performed at the box office. Between the two animated films, the series has made $1.7 billion worldwide. Factoring in the earnings from the live-action remake, the entire franchise as a whole has made $2.01 billion in theaters. The adventure-driven duology's success on the platform is reflective of its initial release, attracting a wide array of audience members no matter the release method.

The Fantasy Series Has A Major New Release On The Horizon

Moana's success on Disney+ arrives just one day before the franchise's next major new release arrives. Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the live-action Moana movie will be released on Disney+. It makes renewed interest in the animated duology all the more fitting, as it seems audience members are anticipating the release of the upcoming installment. While the live-action Moana's reviews weren't as strong as the animated original, it could still find redemption once its streaming release arrives.

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As for the current animated movies, the Disney franchise's overall popularity makes it unsurprising it's managed to breach the Top 10 ahead of its live-action release. The Moana franchise will no doubt continue to be a powerful addition to Disney+'s overall lineup, especially once viewers are able to stream the live-action remake on the platform for the very first time.