'Moana' Loses Its Way at the Box Office with a $43-Million Domestic Opening
The $250 million remake drew strong audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but the opening hampers hopes for a sequel or spinoff.
- Walt Disney Co.'s live-action Moana opened to $43 million in North America this weekend, falling short of industry projections ranging from $45 million to $55 million.
- Industry analysts argue the remake arrived too soon—just 10 years after the original 2016 animated film and only two years after the record-breaking Moana 2 sequel.
- With a $250 million production budget, the remake holds a 34% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics highlighting its 'nearly frame-by-frame similarity' to the original.
- Despite the soft debut, Moana led the box office in a quiet week, with Universal Pictures' Minions & Monsters earning $20.5 million and Toy Story 5 adding $18.5 million.
- This performance contrasts sharply with Disney's 2025 Lilo & Stitch remake, which grossed over $1 billion, raising questions about the studio's rapid remake strategy.
38 Articles
38 Articles
'Moana' vs. 'Snow White': Who's the Fairest Flop of Them All? - The Ankler
Moana didn’t go very far after all. Despite expectations to the contrary, Disney’s latest live-action remake of a classic animated movie from its library washed out with audiences over the weekend, failing to exceed even the lowest end of its tracking. Opening less than 10 years after the animated original and two years after the animated sequel, Moana debuted with just $43 million in North America, a figure comparable to notable Disney live-act…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Moana disappoints at box office after live-action remake panned as ‘unnecessary’
The live-action reimagining did not make a fifth of its production budget on its opening weekend
Moana Shipwrecks at Box Office as Dwayne Johnson Movie Could Lose $100 Million
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures Disney’s latest live-action gamble just crashed harder than anyone expected. The studio’s Dwayne Johnson-led Moana remake opened to devastating box office numbers that could spell massive financial losses. How Moana’s global debut raises concerns over its box office run Disney’s live-action Moana earned $95 million worldwide in its opening weekend, Variety reports. The film collected $43 million domestically fr…
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