Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Struggles at Box Office

Disney’s live-action Moana remake delivered one of the studio’s weakest openings for a live-action adaptation, earning only $43 million during its debut weekend across North American theaters.

The opening was enough to claim the top spot at the box office, but the performance is considered underwhelming for such a recognizable and popular franchise and for a film with a reported $250 million production budget before factoring in marketing costs.

International audiences also showed limited interest, with the film earning $52 million overseas for a worldwide opening total of $95 million.

Disney had projected a domestic debut between $60 million and $65 million, with a worldwide opening of about $140 million. The final numbers fell well below those expectations, creating concerns about whether the film can recover its massive expenses.

The low box office performance puts Moana in competition with the 2025 Snow White for the lowest box office opening among Disney’s live-action remakes. Snow White opened with $42 million domestically and finished its theatrical run with $87 million in North America and $205 million worldwide against a $250 million budget.

The timing of the Moana remake may have impacted audience interest, with the live-action adaptation arriving less than two years after Moana 2 and just a few months before the 10th anniversary of the original animated film. The short gap between releases may have prevented enough time for audience anticipation to build, making it harder for the remake to stand out as a new theatrical experience.

The live-action Moana was directed by Thomas Kail and stars Catherine Laga’aia as Moana, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui.