Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Faces Disappointing Opening Day Performance

Disney’s live-action remake strategy has yielded a mix of successes and failures in recent years, ranging from billion-dollar blockbusters to some of the studio’s most notable box office flops.

This unpredictability set the tone for a challenging opening weekend for the studio’s latest effort to reimagine one of its cherished animated franchises.

Initially, the film was projected to earn between 60 million and 65 million dollars domestically over the weekend, a figure already revised down from earlier estimates that suggested it could reach as high as 75 million dollars.

Disney had hoped this film could follow in the footsteps of successful remakes like ‘The Lion King’, ‘Aladdin’, and last year’s ‘Lilo and Stitch’, rather than the disappointing performances of ‘The Little Mermaid’ or the outright failure of ‘Snow White’.

However, those hopes took a significant blow on Friday. According to Global Box Office, the live-action ‘Moana’ remake earned only 13.9 million dollars on its opening day, which includes 4.5 million dollars from Thursday previews. The account noted that the previously reported projections of over 60 million dollars had been overly optimistic, predicting the film would struggle to reach 40 million dollars for the weekend.

Deadline’s estimates echoed this grim outlook, suggesting that the film’s Friday previews and first-day earnings were around 17 million dollars, with a three-day total expected between 40 million and 45 million dollars. This places it in a similar position to the infamous opening of ‘Snow White’ from the previous year. With presales only hitting 4 million dollars, the film’s success now hinges on Saturday’s audience turnout.

Critics have not been favorable either, as the film currently holds a dismal 35 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is even lower than ‘Snow White’s’ 39 percent. Reviewers have criticized Thomas Kail’s direction, giving this remake a score well below that of ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Aladdin’, and ‘Dumbo’.

These struggles carry significant financial implications given the film’s hefty 250 million dollar production budget, a notable increase from the 175 million dollars spent on the original 2016 animated film. The original went on to gross 642 million dollars globally, while the 2024 animated sequel ‘Moana 2’ set a Thanksgiving weekend record with a 225.4 million dollar five-day opening and eventually surpassed a billion dollars worldwide.

Industry analysts suggest franchise fatigue may be a contributing factor, as this live-action adaptation arrives just two years after ‘Moana 2’ achieved a billion-dollar theatrical run, bolstered by the brand’s immense popularity on Disney+ streaming. The remake features Catherine Laga’aia in the lead role, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his voice role as Maui, this time in live action.

With Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ and Sony’s ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ set to release in the coming weeks, ‘Moana’ was positioned as the only fresh family film before that major competition hits theaters. Whether the film can rely on strong word of mouth to bounce back from this weekend’s disappointing start remains uncertain, but it appears that Disney’s latest live-action venture is off to a much bumpier beginning than anticipated.

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