Disney's live-action Moana remake opens $95M weakly

Disney's live-action remake of "Moana" led the North American box office for the weekend of July 10-12, 2026, but its debut was widely viewed as a financial disappointment. The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga'aia, earned an estimated $43 million domestically and $52 million internationally for a global opening of $95 million. This fell significantly below industry and studio projections, which had anticipated a domestic debut between $60 million and $75 million.

The film's performance, given a reported production budget of $250 million, places it among the weakest openings for Disney's live-action remakes. Analysts project the film could lose between $100 million and $125 million during its theatrical run. The debut drew direct comparison to Disney's 2025 "Snow White" remake, which opened to $42.2 million domestically. Despite the soft opening, the film received a strong 'A' grade from audience polling firm CinemaScore, indicating positive word-of-mouth among those who attended.

Industry analysts pointed to several factors behind the underwhelming launch. A primary issue cited was timing, as the remake arrived just 20 months after the billion-dollar success of...