Disney's Live-Action Moana Struggles at Box Office

Disney's live-action Moana had a disappointing opening weekend, grossing $95 million globally, just slightly surpassing Snow White's $87.3 million debut in 2025.

Disney's live-action Moana had a disappointing opening weekend, grossing $95 million globally, just slightly surpassing Snow White's $87.3 million debut in 2025. The domestic earnings for Moana were around $43 million, with an additional $52 million from international markets. Despite leading the mid-July weekend box office, the numbers fell short of Disney's expectations for the remake of the beloved story.

The film, starring Catherine Laga'aia as Moana and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Maui, failed to meet the projected $60-65 million domestically and $75 million internationally. With a reported budget of $250 million, the soft debut poses a challenge for Disney. The underperformance of Moana could impact the studio's future live-action adaptations.

While Moana struggles, Disney's live-action Tangled movie, delayed due to Snow White's poor performance, is back on track with new cast members. Tangled is set to premiere in 2028, alongside remakes of Bambi, Hercules, Lilo and Stitch 2, and a project centered on Beauty and the Beast's Gaston. In contrast, Universal Pictures and Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic has crossed $1 billion globally, becoming the first biopic to achieve this milestone. Toy Story 5 is also approaching the billion-dollar mark, currently at $879 million after its fourth weekend in theaters. Warner Bros.' Supergirl continues to underperform, with earnings of $115.4 million falling short of expectations.