Disney's Live-Action 'Moana' Leads Domestic Box Office with Modest Opening
The live-action adaptation of 'Moana' topped the U.S. and Canada box office with $43 million, but its worldwide debut totaled $95 million, falling short of Disney's expectations.
Disney's live-action version of "Moana" opened as the top-grossing film in the United States and Canada, earning an estimated $43 million in its first weekend, according to studio figures. The film added $52 million from 50 international markets, bringing its global debut to $95 million.
The $250 million production, directed by Thomas Kail, reunites Dwayne Johnson as Maui and introduces Catherine Lagaʻaia as the titular Polynesian princess. Critics gave the movie a 34 % rating on Rotten Tomatoes, describing it as a near shot-for-shot remake of the 2016 animated original. Audience response was more favorable, with PostTrak reporting that 63 % of viewers would definitely recommend the film, and CinemaScore assigning an A- grade.
Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak noted that the film faced strong competition from other PG-rated releases, including Universal's "Minions & Monsters" ($20.5 million) and "Toy Story 5" ($18.5 million). He said, "Families love going to the movies, but right now there are three of them. That's a lot of competition."
Other new releases this weekend included the R-rated horror "Evil Dead Burn" with $13.7 million, Angel Studios' historical drama "Young Washington" with $6.4 million, and Olivia Wilde's dramedy "The Invite" with $5.7 million.
Despite a slower start for some titles, the domestic box office for the year is approaching $5.2 billion, up roughly 10.7 % from the same point last year. Upcoming releases such as Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" are expected to boost August's performance.