Disney's Live-Action "Moana" Opens With $43 Million, Below Expectations
The live-action remake of "Moana" earned $43 million in its opening weekend in the United States, falling short of Disney's projections and marking one of the studio's weakest debuts for a live-action adaptation.
Disney's live-action version of "Moana" opened in 3,827 North American theaters and generated $43 million over its first weekend, enough to top the domestic box-office chart but well below the studio's forecast of $60-$65 million. The film, produced on an estimated $250 million budget before marketing costs, also posted a modest $52 million overseas, for a total global debut of $95 million.
Industry analyst David A. Gross noted, "Disney invented this live-action phenomenon based on their animated films, and they’ve had remarkable success with them. But this opening isn’t close to Disney’s past remakes."
The underperformance places "Moana" alongside the 2025 "Snow White" remake as one of Disney's lowest-opening live-action releases, both struggling to recoup their high production expenses. By contrast, earlier adaptations such as "The Lion King," "Aladdin," and "Beauty and the Beast" each opened above $100 million and eventually surpassed $1 billion worldwide.
Critics gave the film a 35 % rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience exit polls reported an average grade of A-, according to CinemaScore. Directed by Thomas Kail and starring Catherine Laga’aia as Moana with Dwayne Johnson as Maui, the movie arrived less than two years after the animated sequel, which had become a billion-dollar hit.
The release faced competition from Universal’s "Minions & Monsters," which earned $20.5 million in its second weekend, and Disney-Pixar’s "Toy Story 5," which continues to approach the $1 billion mark. Upcoming titles such as Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" are expected to boost summer attendance.