Disney’s Live-Action Remake of Moana Set for Box Office Trouble
Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of Moana, originally released in 2016, is heading toward possible box office failure, with Thursday night previews earning only $4.5 million.
That’s quite concerning, right?
Recent patterns show that Disney has been struggling with other projects, as evidenced by The Mandalorian and Grogu garnering $12 million during its previews.
In fact, Thursday night was filled with notable underperformers: Moana at $4.5 million, Flash at $9 million, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at $7.2 million. Meanwhile, Supergirl managed to do almost double Moana‘s figures, bringing in $8.2 million.
It’s worth noting that Moana performed slightly better than the upcoming live-action Snow White, which opened at $3.5 million on the same night.
Honestly, there hasn’t been much public demand for this film. It feels like Disney is scrambling, digging into its intellectual properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar, in a bid to maintain their box office presence. The decision to greenlight this live-action version of Moana seems hasty. I can picture the brainstorming session going something like this…
So, what are we looking at for summer 2026?
I thought about a new project. Maybe a Star Wars film called Rey and Her PE Teacher: A Star Wars Story?
Yeah, but the Star Wars fans aren’t thrilled with that idea. Too much backlash.
Then there’s Ant-Man and his exploration of gender.
Same problem with the fanbase.
So, what about a live-action Moana? That movie’s a decade old now.
I know there was a sequel last year, but hear me out: In this remake, Dwayne Johnson dons a skirt and a wig for two hours. It’s subtle, but I think it kind of works… maybe.
Yes, yes!
I’m partly joking, of course.
As reported, the production budget for Moana was around $250 million, with an additional $100 million spent on marketing. To break even, it’d need to exceed $500 million at the box office—a tall order that seems unlikely.
Things aren’t looking good, either. Critics have been harsh, with the film currently sitting at a mere 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s worse than Wish (2023) at 48%, Snow White (2025) at 39%, and even Strange World (2022) at 62%.
Some industry analysts suggest that its opening weekend could pull in less than $40 million.
It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds. I, for one, find some satisfaction in watching the Disney Grooming Syndicate face potential financial losses.
