Moana Box Office Flop

Disney's live-action Moana underperforms at the box office and is projected to lose money.

Disney’s live-action Moana fails to make a splash at box office with underwhelming opening

Disney bet big on one of its most popular franchises and most-streamed movie. The live-action remake failed to make a big splash | Fortune

'Moana' joins 'Snow White' as the latest live-action Disney film to bomb at box office

Summary

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Disney’s live-action “Moana” opened at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada with $43 million, while international ticket sales added $52 million across 50 markets for a $95 million global debut. The remake carried a reported $250 million production budget, before marketing costs. Dwayne Johnson reprises Maui, and 19-year-old Australian-Samoan actor Catherine Laga’aia stars as Moana. Critics largely rejected the film, extending scrutiny of Disney’s live-action remake strategy after “Snow White.”

The Coverage

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Some commentarymostly reporting, with a slice of commentary.

What the analysis & opinion pieces argue

Box-office disappointment

Disney’s live-action Moana did not perform strongly enough in theaters, even though it debuted at No. 1 domestically. Its high cost and weaker returns make it a commercial disappointment for the studio.

Creative remake failure

The live-action Moana is a weak and uninspired remake. Poor critical reception points to Disney’s live-action remake strategy failing creatively.

Disney strategy problem

Disney’s troubles with live-action Moana reflect a larger problem with its franchise and remake strategy. The studio’s repeated reliance on familiar IP is no longer delivering the creative or commercial results it needs.