Disney’s live-action Moana tops box office with underwhelming $95 million global debut
The Walt Disney Company’s live-action adaptation of “Moana” debuted at the top of the domestic box office but fell short of expectations, earning an estimated $43 million in the United States and Canada during its opening weekend. The film added another $52 million from international markets, bringing its global debut to $95 million against a reported production budget of $250 million.
Disney entered the release with high hopes for one of its most successful franchises. The original 2016 animated film remains the most-watched movie on Disney+, while “Moana 2” surpassed $1 billion worldwide after its record-breaking Thanksgiving debut in 2024.
Directed by Thomas Kail, the remake stars Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui alongside newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana. While Lagaʻaia’s performance has drawn praise, the film has received largely negative reviews from critics, many of whom criticized it for closely following the original animated movie. Audience reaction has been more favorable, with the film earning an A- CinemaScore and solid recommendation scores from moviegoers, particularly parents.
The opening weekend also came amid stiff competition from several other family films. “Minions & Monsters” finished second with $20.5 million, while “Toy Story 5” placed third with $18.5 million. Industry analysts suggested that multiple PG-rated releases targeting families may have limited “Moana’s” opening, forcing audiences to choose between several high-profile titles.
Despite the modest debut, analysts noted that family films often enjoy long theatrical runs. “Minions & Monsters,” for example, posted only a moderate decline in its second weekend and has now earned more than $108 million domestically. Meanwhile, “Toy Story 5” continues to perform strongly worldwide, approaching $880 million globally after four weekends.
Elsewhere at the box office, the R-rated horror film “Evil Dead Burn” opened in fourth place with $13.7 million, below the openings of the previous two installments in the franchise. Angel Studios’ historical drama “Young Washington” finished fifth with $6.4 million in its second weekend, while Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” debuted in sixth with $5.7 million.
Outside the weekend’s top performers, “Michael” surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, becoming only the second film this year to reach the milestone. The movie also became the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The domestic box office has generated nearly $5.2 billion so far this year, an increase of more than 10% compared with the same point last year. While July has featured several underperforming releases, the industry is looking ahead to upcoming films including Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which are expected to boost theater attendance in the coming weeks.
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