Disney's $250M Moana Remake Stalls at $95M Global Debut

Walt Disney’s $250 million live-action “Moana” opened at the top of the domestic box office, but its $95 million global debut falls far short of the benchmark needed to justify its massive production budget. The film, directed by Thomas Kail, faces a steep climb to profitability.

The remake earned $43 million in the U.S. and Canada and $52 million internationally across 50 markets. That domestic start puts it roughly on par with last year’s high-profile flop “Snow White,” which managed just $42.2 million on its opening weekend and only $205 million globally. By contrast, past successful Disney remakes like “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” have surpassed the $1 billion mark.

The weak opening represents a notable miscalculation for Disney. The 2016 animated original is the most-streamed movie on Disney+, and the animated sequel “Moana 2” generated over $1 billion globally just 19 months ago. Adapting this live-action version from a planned streaming series and releasing it into a crowded family market appears to have severely limited its financial ceiling.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, pointed to an oversaturation of family-friendly options. “Families love going to the movies, but right now there are three of them,” Dergarabedian said. “That’s a lot of competition.” Universal’s “Minions & Monsters” took second place with $20.5 million, while Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” held third with $18.5 million, bringing its four-week global total to $879.1 million.

While critics panned the shot-for-shot nature of the remake, handing it a 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audience metrics suggest stronger grassroots appeal. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, and 78% of parents polled by PostTrak said they would recommend it. However, that parent approval may not be enough to overcome the crowded marketplace and high production costs.

The domestic box office is currently sitting just under $5.2 billion for the year, up 10.7% from the same point in 2024. However, July has brought notable headwinds following strong $1 billion-plus months in May and June. Warner Bros.’ R-rated “Evil Dead Burn” opened to a soft $13.7 million, while “Supergirl” continued to struggle.

The industry is now looking to late-summer releases to reverse the July slump. “They could power a stronger August than July at the box office, which would be very unusual,” Dergarabedian said, referring to the upcoming releases of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Elsewhere, the biopic “Michael” crossed $1 billion globally, becoming the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.