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Disney's Live-Action Moana Debuts $95M, Misses $140M Goal

7/13/2026

49 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Disney Moana Underperforms

Disney's live-action remake of Moana opened with $43 million domestically, ranking #1.
It added $52 million overseas, resulting in a $95 million worldwide debut that falls short of the $140 million global target.
Critics gave it 34% on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences awarded an A-CinemaScore and 90% approval.
Analysts blame the weak opening on the 19-month gap after Moana 2 and competition from Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5.

Summary

Disney Moana Falters

Disney released a live-action Moana ten years after the original and two years after its sequel, starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia.
Analyst David Gross says live-action remakes normally wait about 27 years, a span that helps attract multiple generations.
Executives say the weak opening reduces sequel prospects while the title can still earn pay-per-view and Disney+ revenue.

Summary

Moana Thrives

Women made up 66 % of the opening-week audience for Disney’s live-action “Moana.”
PostTrak found that 63 % of viewers would definitely recommend the film.
Among parents, 78 % said they would recommend it to other parents.
The movie earned a 4.5-out-of-5 Comscore rating, an A-CinemaScore and a 90 % audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes.

History

Historical Context

After Disney’s 2016 announcement to remake its animated classics, Jon Favreau’s photorealistic Lion King opened July 19 2019, earning $1.66 billion worldwide on a $260 million budget and a $191.8 million opening weekend. The blockbuster’s record-breaking performance reinforced Disney’s live-action strategy, leading to the 2024 Moana remake, which opened with $95 million—well short of its $140 million target.

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Disney Moana Underperforms

Disney's live-action remake of Moana opened with $43 million domestically, ranking #1.
It added $52 million overseas, resulting in a $95 million worldwide debut that falls short of the $140 million global target.
Critics gave it 34% on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences awarded an A-CinemaScore and 90% approval.
Analysts blame the weak opening on the 19-month gap after Moana 2 and competition from Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5.

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