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Disney's Live-Action Moana Underwhelms at Box Office Despite Topping Charts
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Singapore /Culture & Society

Disney's Live-Action Moana Underwhelms at Box Office Despite Topping Charts

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Disney's live-action "Moana" debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office but underperformed financially.
  • The film earned $43 million domestically and $52 million internationally for a $95 million global debut, falling short of expectations given its $250 million production cost.
  • Critics gave the film dismal reviews, though audience scores were more favorable, with 63% recommending it.

Disney's live-action "Moana" has claimed the top spot at the North American box office in its opening weekend, but its performance has been described as an "underwhelming splash." The film garnered $43 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, with an additional $52 million from 50 international markets, resulting in a global debut of $95 million.

The movie, which cost a reported US$250 million (S$323.1 million) to produce, earned just US$43 million from ticket sales in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday (Jul 12).

โ€” N/AReporting the film's financial performance.

This figure falls significantly short of expectations, especially considering the film's reported production cost of $250 million. Disney had high hopes for the adaptation, given the immense popularity of the 2016 animated original, which is the most-watched movie on Disney+. Its sequel, "Moana 2," released just 19 months ago, was a box office giant, earning over $1 billion and opening with $225 million.

Its sequel, which was stitched together from a planned streaming series, made over US$1 billion and scored a Thanksgiving record when it opened with US$225 million in 2024.

โ€” N/AComparing the live-action film's performance to its animated predecessor.

The new "Moana," directed by Thomas Kail and starring Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Catherine Lagaสปaia as Moana, has faced a wave of critical reviews. Many critics found it to be a near shot-for-shot remake of the original. While Lagaสปaia's performance received praise, the film currently holds a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Itโ€™s currently sitting at a 34 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

โ€” N/AStating the film's critical reception.

Audiences, however, have shown more favor. According to PostTrak, 63% of viewers said they would "definitely" recommend the film, with parents being even more enthusiastic at 78%. The film also received an A- CinemaScore. Despite these audience scores, "Moana's" opening weekend is comparable to that of last year's "Snow White" remake, which also struggled at the box office. Analysts suggest that the market may be oversaturated with PG-rated family films, including "Minions & Monsters" and "Toy Story 5," leading families to make difficult choices about which movies to see.

According to PostTrak, 63 per cent said they would โ€œdefinitelyโ€ recommend the film to their friends.

โ€” N/AReporting audience recommendation rates.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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