Disney's live-action Moana disappoints with a million global opening.

      Disney's live-action Moana has not made a significant impact at the box office, with the Dwayne Johnson-led remake of the 2016 animated hit garnering only $95 million globally during its opening weekend. The film features Johnson reprising his role as demigod Maui, with Catherine Laga’aia starring as Moana. It earned $43 million in North America, just surpassing last year’s criticized Snow White, which made $42.2 million, and an additional $52 million from international markets. This is below Disney's already conservative estimates, with expectations set at around $65 million domestically and $140 million worldwide.

      Disney reportedly invested $250 million into the production budget for Moana, not including a significant marketing expenditure, and given its underwhelming debut, industry experts suggest the studio could lose over $100 million on the film. This marks another financial setback for Disney, following a reported $170 million loss on Snow White; however, that loss was somewhat mitigated by the subsequent success of the billion-dollar Lilo & Stitch.

      It remains uncertain how Moana’s performance might influence Disney's future plans for animated remakes, or the development of a third animated film hinted at by Johnson earlier this month leading up to the live-action release. However, considering that 2024’s Moana 2 (initially planned as a Disney+ series) also entered the billion-dollar club, it shows that there is still a demand for this franchise, at least in its animated version.

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      Originally published July 12, 2026. Updated July 13, 2026. About Gary Collinson: Gary Collinson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flickering Myth. He is a writer and producer in the film, television, and digital content sectors, known for works like the gothic horror feature The Baby in the Basket and the suspense thriller Death Among the Pines, along with the horror franchise reboot Robert Returns. He also authored Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.