Disney’s long-running strategy of turning its animated classics into live-action blockbusters is facing renewed scrutiny after Moana opened below expectations at the global box office.
The live-action remake debuted with $43 million in North America and $95 million worldwide, topping the weekend box office but falling short of expectations for a film reportedly made on a production budget of around $250 million.
The performance has prompted fresh debate over whether Disney’s remake formula is beginning to lose momentum.
For more than a decade, the studio enjoyed enormous success by reimagining animated classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and, more recently, Lilo & Stitch.
However, recent remakes including Snow White and now Moana have struggled to match the commercial heights of their predecessors.
Industry analysts point to several possible reasons behind Moana‘s softer opening. Unlike many earlier remakes, the original 2016 animated film remains one of Disney+’s most-streamed titles, while Moana 2 crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide less than two years ago.
Some believe audiences simply felt the story was still too recent to warrant another version.
Competition also played a role. Moana entered cinemas alongside family titles including Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters, while major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup also competed for viewers’ attention.
Despite the underwhelming opening, audience reactions have been considerably stronger than critics’ reviews. The film earned an A- CinemaScore and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting positive word of mouth could help its performance in the coming weeks.
The bigger question now is what comes next for Disney.
The studio still has several live-action projects in development, but Moana‘s early performance has intensified discussions about whether audiences want faithful remakes of relatively recent animated hits or are looking for something new from one of Hollywood’s biggest studios.