The live-action remake of Disney’s popular movie Moana is projected to lose up to $100 million following a disappointing box office debut last weekend.
The film, featuring Dwayne Johnson, earned only $43 million during its opening weekend, despite being the top film at the box office. It’s unlikely to recoup its $250 million production costs.
This remake closely mirrors the decade-old animated original, and with over $120 million spent on marketing, the total cost of the film exceeds $370 million, according to reports from Variety.
Although the original story dates back ten years, the sequel, Moana II, was only released two years ago. Critics believe Disney should have waited longer before launching a live-action version. Many think a new animated installment, like Moana III, would have been a better choice, and it seems some fans are not inclined to see the live-action adaptation.
It’s not that audiences are uninterested in live-action remakes. For instance, the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch is planned for 2025 and has already garnered a billion-dollar status. Other remakes of Disney classics have also performed well, but usually there’s more time between animated sequels and live-action adaptations. In this case, Moana was released just two years after its animated sequel.
Meanwhile, the studio’s attempt with Snow White from last year has been labeled one of the biggest failures in film history, raking in only $205 million worldwide against a budget exceeding $400 million. The film faced severe backlash, including poor reviews, casting controversies, and accusations of being overly political, as well as a lead actor who appeared to provoke audiences even before its release.
Snow White ultimately incurred losses of at least $170 million.
As for Moana, critics weren’t overly impressed with the film either, though they seemed less concerned with the lead actor’s controversial remarks. The film received a weak 35% rating from critics at launch, and many industry experts revised their expectations for its opening box office several times before it hit theaters.
Moana might not be entirely out of the game just yet. Despite this weekend’s lackluster performance, Disney has already confirmed that a third animated film, Moana, is in the pipeline.
