'Moana' Could Lose at Least $100 Million USD in Theaters as Disney's Remake Strategy Falters

Summary

Disney’s live-action 'Moana' adaptation opened to a disappointing $43 million USD domestically and $95 million USD globally

The film’s weak theatrical start is projected to result in a massive $100 million USD deficit against its $250 million USD budget

The commercial failure mirrors last year's 'Snow White' flop and challenges Disney's reliance on quick animated-to-live-action remakes

Walt Disney Pictures is facing another massive financial hurdle as its live-action adaptation of Moana flopped during its opening weekend, threatening a projected loss of at least $100 million USD. According to a box office report, the film’s underwhelming theatrical debut has forced industry analysts to question the longevity of the studio’s strategy of remaking relatively recent animated hits.

Directed by Thomas Kail and starring Catherine Laga’aia alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprising his role as Maui, the live-action remake failed to meet already conservative industry tracking. The $250 million USD production pulled in just $43 million USD domestically across 3,875 theaters and a soft $52 million USD internationally, bringing its global weekend total to approximately $95 million USD. With a hefty marketing budget estimated at $120 million USD piled on top of high production costs, the film is tracking closely to 2025’s Snow White flop rather than the billion-dollar highs of past remakes like Lilo & Stitch or Aladdin.

The disappointing performance highlights a growing fatigue among family audiences toward immediate live-action adaptations of films that are barely a decade old. While the original 2016 animated classic remains a cultural juggernaut, moviegoers largely rejected this shot-for-shot theatrical remake, posing a significant creative and economic dilemma for Disney’s upcoming pipeline of remakes like Tangled.