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Disney Got Its Groove Back With ‘Moana 2,’ but Troubled ‘Snow White’ Could Halt the Momentum
The animated sequel marks the fulfilment of a new executive structure and a mandate to avoid the culture wars.
Fast-forward to 2024, and “ Moana 2 ” marks the fulfilment of those two adjustments — a movie able to pivot from its planned release on Disney+ and escape the wrath of right-wing influencers who believe the studio had been pushing a “woke” ideology, a perception stoked by activist shareholder Nelson Peltz. The animated sequel, which features a voice cast led by Dwayne Johnson — an actor whose appeal straddles both sides of the political divide — shattered Thanksgiving box office records en route to a $386 million worldwide haul. The ensuing social media noise often created a self-fulfilling prophecy of a bomb before a film opened, as happened when conservative commentator Ben Shapiro targeted “Lightyear” for giving significant screen time to a lesbian couple who were not part of the “Toy Story” franchise.
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