Live-Action ‘Moana’ Opens to $45M, Below Disney’s Expectations
8 verified7 unconfirmed1 contested
Disney’s live-action remake of “Moana” opened to an estimated $45 million domestically over its debut weekend, falling short of initial projections. The film earned $18 million on Friday from roughly 3,875 to 3,900 North American theaters, according to multiple reports. The production budget is reported at $250 million, meaning the film will need strong sustained attendance to become profitable. The original animated “Moana” opened to $56 million in 2016 and grossed over $640 million worldwide, while the 2024 sequel “Moana 2” set a Thanksgiving record with a $225 million debut and surpassed $1 billion globally. The live-action version stars Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, directed by Thomas Kail. Several other films also opened wide this weekend, including “Evil Dead Burn,” “The Invite,” and “Young Washington.”
What’s verified
The live-action “Moana” earned $18 million in domestic box office on Friday and is projected to gross approximately $45 million over its opening weekend.
The film’s production budget is $250 million.
The original 2016 animated “Moana” opened to $56 million domestically over its five-day Thanksgiving debut and earned more than $640 million worldwide.
The 2024 sequel “Moana 2” debuted to $225 million domestically over Thanksgiving and surpassed $1 billion globally.
Catherine Laga’aia stars as Moana, and Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui. Thomas Kail directed the film.
“Evil Dead Burn” earned $6.7 million on Friday and is expected to finish around $15 million for the weekend.
“Minions & Monsters” collected $6.5 million on Friday in its second weekend, with a domestic total projected at $108 million by Sunday.
“Toy Story 5” took in between $5.6 million and $5.7 million on Friday and is on track to earn about $18 million to $18.6 million in its fourth weekend.
Where accounts differ
The sources disagree on the ranking and Friday earnings of several films in the top five. One account lists the top five as “Moana,” “Evil Dead Burn” ($6.7M Friday), “Minions & Monsters” ($6.5M), “Toy Story 5” ($5.7M), and “The Invite” ($2.4M). Another account lists the top five as “Moana,” “Minions & Monsters” ($6.5M), “Toy Story 5” ($5.6M), “Evil Dead Burn” ($6.7M), and “Young Washington” ($2.1M). Additionally, one source reports that “The Invite” opened in wide release and placed fifth, while the other source does not mention that film and instead places “Young Washington” in the fifth spot.
Not yet confirmed
One source reports that “Moana” received an A- CinemaScore from audiences, while the other source does not mention audience polling.
One source notes that Disney had targeted a $60 million-plus opening for the film, with initial tracking as high as $75 million, while the other source only mentions rival estimates of $45 million.
One source states that “Snow White” (2025) opened to $42 million domestically and had a $270 million budget, and that Disney paused development on its live-action “Tangled” after that disappointment, later resuming after “Lilo & Stitch.” The other source does not include these details.
One source provides plot summaries for “Moana,” “Evil Dead Burn,” and “The Invite,” while the other does not include these specifics.
One source reports “The Invite” Friday gross as $2.4 million from wide release with a $12 million budget, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde. The other source does not mention this film.
One source reports that “Young Washington” earned $2.1 million on Friday in its second weekend; the other source does not mention that film.
Neither source addresses whether the “Moana” live-action remake will break even or earn a profit.
Key figures
Dwayne Johnson (actor, voice of Maui)
Catherine Laga’aia (actor, Moana)
Thomas Kail (director)
Souheila Yacoub (actor, “Evil Dead Burn”)
Sébastien Vanicek (director, “Evil Dead Burn”)
Olivia Wilde (director and actor, “The Invite”)
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
