Story perspectives

Disney's Live-Action Moana Opens $43M, Faces $100M Loss Risk

7/15/2026

Summary

Disney Moana Falters

Disney's live-action "Moana" earned $43 million domestically and $95 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
The film cost about $250 million to produce and $120 million to market, totaling at least $300 million.
Analysts say the movie must earn about $600 million worldwide to break even, risking a loss of over $100 million.
Dwayne Johnson earned $30 million as producer and star, while the film holds a 31 percent Tomatometer score, an A-grade CinemaScore and 90 percent audience rating.

Summary

Kail Directs Moana

Thomas Kail directs “Moana,” preserving the 2016 plot while enlarging Motunui.
Catherine Laga’aia debuts as Moana and delivers “How Far I’ll Go” that differs from the animation.
Dwayne Johnson leans into Maui’s silliness, adding moving tattoos, transformations and a comic chicken.
Digital effects highlight the ocean, Maui’s tattoos and Tamatoa the crab.
Costume and location work enhance presence, while the soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina remains intact.

History

Historical Context

After Disney’s $260 million photorealistic remake of The Lion King (directed by Jon Favreau) earned $1.66 billion worldwide in 2019, becoming the highest-grossing animated and musical film, the studio cemented a trend of high-budget live-action adaptations begun with The Jungle Book (2016). Building on that success, Disney slated a $300 million live-action Moana starring Dwayne Johnson for 2024, underscoring its aggressive franchise-driven strategy.

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Disney Moana Falters

Disney's live-action "Moana" earned $43 million domestically and $95 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
The film cost about $250 million to produce and $120 million to market, totaling at least $300 million.
Analysts say the movie must earn about $600 million worldwide to break even, risking a loss of over $100 million.
Dwayne Johnson earned $30 million as producer and star, while the film holds a 31 percent Tomatometer score, an A-grade CinemaScore and 90 percent audience rating.

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