Moana's Box Office Challenge
Disney's live-action Moana opens below expectations amid strong competition, challenging remake strategy.
Key Points
Audiences under 18 gave Moana an A+ CinemaScore, indicating exceptionally strong appeal among younger moviegoers despite the film earning an overall A-.
Moana's critical reception has been notably mixed to negative, with a Metacritic score of 41 and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 34%.
The weekend's box office was dominated by competition: Minions & Monsters added $20.5 million in its second weekend (domestic about $108 million, worldwide about $280 million) and Toy Story 5 opened with about $18.5 million, pushing domestic near $404 million and worldwide near $880 million.
Disney’s live-action schedule continues to push ahead with a Tangled remake planned for release within roughly the next 18 months, underscoring the company’s ongoing reliance on family-friendly live-action remakes despite Moana’s performance.
Some observers attribute Moana’s underperformance to its relatively recent origin (the 2016 Moana and the 2024 Moana 2) and a crowded release window; one piece notes the global opening was only slightly higher than Snow White’s first frame, underscoring the broader challenge for such remakes.
Disney's live-action Moana opened to just $43 million domestically and $52 million overseas this weekend, landing a $95 million global debut — well short of the studio's own expectations of $60 million to $65 million in the U.S. alone, according to Billboard. The film cost $250 million to make, putting Disney on track to lose between $100 million and $125 million in its first release cycle, Deadline reported.
The weak start lands Moana among Disney's most troubled live-action remakes. Critics panned it hard — a 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 41 on Metacritic. Audiences were kinder, giving it an A- CinemaScore overall and an A+ from viewers under 18.
Why Disney Expected More and Got Less
Disney had set internal targets between $60 million and $65 million for the opening weekend, Mod Bee reported. The film fell roughly $20 million short. One major reason: the 2016 original Moana and the 2024 sequel Moana 2 are still fresh in audience memory. Fans may have felt little reason to rush back to a story they already know well.
The global debut of $95 million was only slightly higher than Snow White's opening frame — another recent Disney live-action remake that struggled, according to Yahoo Finance. That comparison signals a wider problem for Disney's strategy of retelling animated classics with real actors and massive budgets.
Crowded Weekend Left Little Room to Breathe
Moana did not open into an easy market. Toy Story 5 added roughly $18.5 million in its latest weekend, pushing its domestic total to about $404 million and its worldwide haul to nearly $880 million. Minions & Monsters pulled in another $20.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to about $108 million and its global take to around $280 million.
With two big family films already in theaters, Moana faced direct competition for the exact same audience — parents with young kids. That crowded release window likely ate into ticket sales that might otherwise have gone to Moana's opening weekend.
Kids Loved It, Critics Did Not
The split between critics and young viewers tells a complicated story. Moana scored an A+ from audiences under 18 — one of the strongest youth scores a film can get. But a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of just 41 point to broad critical rejection, according to Deadline.
That gap could help or hurt the film's legs. Positive word of mouth from kids and parents who do see it may drive repeat visits and strong holds in coming weeks. But poor reviews tend to suppress casual moviegoers who might otherwise take a chance on opening weekend.
Disney Pushes Ahead With Tangled Despite Warning Signs
Despite Moana's stumble, Disney is not slowing down its live-action remake pipeline. A live-action Tangled is already planned for release within roughly the next 18 months, Billboard reported. The strategy of remaking beloved animated films with big budgets shows no sign of stopping.
Profitability is not impossible for Moana — strong overseas growth or streaming performance could cut into losses. But at a $250 million production cost, the film needs a significant turnaround. Deadline projected losses of $100 million to $125 million, making it one of Disney's costlier misfires in recent memory.
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