Despite the original animated movie being a stellar hit in 2016, the live-action remake of Moana stumbled at the box office over the weekend, pulling in an estimated $95 million globally.
The opening is considered disappointing, especially since the film reportedly cost around $250 million to produce.
Domestically, the film starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Catherine Lagaaia debuted to a $43 million opening. It almost ties with last year’s flop, Snow White, for the lowest opening among Disney’s live-action remakes.
The underwhelming debut marks a sharp contrast to the franchise's recent success. Moana 2 grossed over $1 billion less than two years ago.
The misstep comes during a strong 2026 box office year. While there have been a few other high-profile underperformers like Universal’s Minions & Monsters and DC’s Supergirl, upcoming Christopher Nolan epic The Odyssey on July 17 and Sony/Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31 are expected to be super hits.