Movies like Moana (2016)
The best movies like Moana (2016) are Moana 2 (2024), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015). If Moana hooked you with its adventure and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Emperor's New Groove (2000)7.6/10 from 7,547 votes
- NewestMoana (2026)Released 2026
Moana 2 (2024)
After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
The enthusiastic Pirate Captain, along with his rag-tag crew, sets out to beat his bitter rivals. The chaotic adventure takes them from exotic shores to Victorian London, and from a haplessly smitten scientist to a diabolical queen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)
Evil pirate Burger Beard is in search of the final page of a magical book that makes any evil plan he writes in it come true, but the final page happens to be the Krabby Patty secret formula. When Burger Beard endangers Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Sandy, and Plankton must embark on a quest to retrieve the recipe and save their city...a quest that takes them to the surface world and transforms them into superheroes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krab, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Though he's just been passed over for the promotion of his dreams, SpongeBob stands by his boss, and along with his best pal Patrick, sets out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krab's life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers (2006)
Dueling cat-and-mouse team Tom and Jerry hit the high seas on a hunt for buried treasure in this pirate adventure. The tale begins when crew member Tom sets sail with an infamous pirate and finds a treasure map along with stowaway Jerry. The furry swashbucklers race to a deserted island where X marks the spot, but along with battling each other, they must outwit ruthless buccaneers, angry monkeys and a giant octopus to strike it rich.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWinnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004)
Spring has sprung, and baby Roo is excited to get out and explore and make new friends. But Rabbit seems preoccupied with spring cleaning, instead of embracing his usual role of playing Easter Bunny. Leave it to Roo to show Rabbit -- through love -- that it's more important who you love and not who's in charge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)
Get ready as Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and the rest of the Veggies set sail on a whale of an adventure in Big Idea's first full-length, 3-D animated feature film. This is the story of Jonah and the Whale as you've never seen it before - a story where we learn that one of the best gifts you can give - or get - is a second chance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIce Age: Continental Drift (2012)
Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
Set several years after the first film, Ariel and Prince Eric are happily married with a daughter, Melody. In order to protect Melody from the Sea Witch, Morgana, they have not told her about her mermaid heritage. Melody is curious and ventures into the sea, where she meets new friends. But will she become a pawn in Morgana's quest to take control of the ocean from King Triton?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoana (2026)
Teenage Moana answers the Ocean's call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChicken Little (2005)
When the sky really is falling and sanity has flown the coop, who will rise to save the day? Together with his hysterical band of misfit friends, Chicken Little must hatch a plan to save the planet from alien invasion and prove that the world's biggest hero is a little chicken.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Sea Beast (2022)
When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters — and make history to boot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRuby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Ruby Gillman, a sweet and awkward high school student, discovers she's a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queens. The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids. Destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, Ruby must use her newfound powers to protect those she loves most.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie: Dolphin Magic (2017)
Barbie and her sisters take off on another exciting, global adventure to visit their friend Ken at his summer internship at a beautiful and exotic coral reef.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAtlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
A young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFinding Dory (2016)
Dory is reunited with her friends Nemo and Marlin in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMuppet Treasure Island (1996)
Young Jim Hawkins and his two best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, embark on a voyage across the high seas in search of buried treasure, but soon find that not everyone onboard can be trusted.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
The sailor of legend is framed by the goddess Eris for the theft of the Book of Peace, and must travel to her realm at the end of the world to retrieve it and save the life of his childhood friend Prince Proteus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMasters of the Universe (1987)
When He-Man is driven from Eternia after Skeletor seizes Castle Grayskull, a stolen portal device strands the fight on Earth, where a pair of teenagers become entangled in a war that spans worlds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisTinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy (2014)
Zarina, a smart and ambitious dust-keeper fairy who’s captivated by Blue Pixie Dust and its endless possibilities, flees Pixie Hollow and joins forces with the scheming pirates of Skull Rock, who make her captain of their ship. Tinker Bell and her friends must embark on an epic adventure to find Zarina, and together they go sword-to-sword with the band of pirates led by a cabin boy named James, who’ll soon be known as Captain Hook himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIce Age: Collision Course (2016)
Set after the events of Continental Drift, Scrat's epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego, and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure while traveling to exotic new lands and locations.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Emperor's New Groove (2000)
When the self‑absorbed Emperor Kuzco is accidentally transformed into a llama, he must rely on a humble villager to survive the jungle and reclaim his throne.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Muppet Movie (1979)
The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future Muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPete's Dragon (1977)
Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father, Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)
Legendary secrets are revealed as Aladdin and his friends—Jasmine, Abu, Carpet and, of course, the always entertaining Genie—face all sorts of terrifying threats and make some exciting last-minute escapes pursuing the King Of Thieves and his villainous crew.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJumbo (2025)
Desperate to prove to his peers that he’s more than a chubby kid that never wins at anything, little Don wishes to win his local talent show by performing a stageplay inspired from a storybook written by his late parents. When unfortunately a bully stole that book, at the same time a little ghost appeared from the spirit world asking for Don’s help to reunite her with her parents’ spirits. The two new friends then embark on an exciting adventure to help each other and learn the true meaning of friendship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPopeye (1980)
Popeye is a super-strong, spinach-scarfing sailor man who's searching for his father. During a storm that wrecks his ship, Popeye washes ashore and winds up rooming at the Oyl household, where he meets Olive. Before he can win her heart, he must first contend with Olive's fiancé, Bluto.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAll Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
When a casino-owning dog named Charlie is murdered by his rival Carface, he finds himself in Heaven. Wanting to get back at his killer, he cons his way back to the living with the warning that doing so damns him to Hell. Once back, he teams with his old partner, Itchy, to prep his retaliation. He stumbles upon an orphan girl who can talk to the animals, thus allowing him to get the inside info on the races to ensure his wins to finance his plans. However, all the while, he is still haunted by nightmares of what's waiting for him on the other side unless he can prove that he is worthy of Heaven again.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret of NIMH (1982)
A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Dark Crystal (1982)
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Moana?
The closest matches to Moana are Moana 2 (2024), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Moana?
Start with Moana 2 (2024), the closest match to Moana.
What is the highest-rated movie like Moana?
The Emperor's New Groove (2000), rated 7.6/10 by 7,547 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Moana?
Moana (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Moana?
Yes: Moana 2 (2024), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015).
How are movies similar to Moana chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Moana, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.