Disney's live-action Moana fails to make expected impact at box office
High-budget film underperforms in its opening weekend.
1Moana's box office performance
Disney's $250 million live-action Moana film grossed just $43 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, it earned $95 million, falling short of studio expectations. The adaptation of the animated film, which is the most-watched movie on Disney+, received negative reviews from critics for being a shot-for-shot remake of the original.
2What critics and audiences said
Scoring 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was criticized for lacking originality. However, audiences were more positive: 63% said they would "definitely" recommend it to friends. Among parents, this number rose to 78%. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, showing stronger reception among family audiences compared to critics.
3Disney's live-action adaptation strategy
Disney's strategy of remaking animated classics has yielded mixed results. While films like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast surpassed $1 billion, last year's Snow White adaptation earned only $205 million. Moana's performance mirrors Snow White's, raising concerns about audience fatigue with these remakes.
4Oversaturation of PG-rated films
Industry analysts attribute Moana's underperformance to market saturation of PG films. The same weekend saw Minions Monsters earn $20.5 million and Toy Story 5 gross $18.5 million, both competing for family audiences. Experts note that families are having to choose between multiple similar offerings, diluting potential earnings for each film.
5Other box office performers
The R-rated horror Evil Dead Burn opened in fourth place with $13.7 million, while the historical drama Young Washington rounded out the top five with $6.4 million. Meanwhile, Michael surpassed $1 billion globally, becoming the second film this year to achieve this milestone after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
6Summer box office outlook
While May and June saw strong box office performance, July has been disappointing with underperformers like Supergirl. However, the upcoming releases of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day are expected to boost August numbers. Analysts predict August could outperform July, which would be unusual for the summer movie season.