Overview
- The live-action Moana, released on July 10, opened to about $43 million domestically and has earned roughly $263–266 million worldwide through early August.
- Professional critics gave the film a low Rotten Tomatoes score of about 31 percent while general audience ratings have been much higher.
- The film was made on a reported $250 million production budget and industry estimates for marketing raise its break-even point, leading analysts to project at least a $100 million theatrical loss.
- Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro called the movie’s box office “soft” on the company’s August 5 earnings call and framed the release as an investment that can feed streaming, parks, and merchandise, while star Dwayne Johnson told People he is focused on the film’s Polynesian representation and downplayed the critical backlash.
- The result has renewed debate over the cost and timing of expensive live-action remakes, the future of the Moana franchise with some outlets reporting an animated sequel in development, and how studios measure value across theaters, streaming, and brand merchandising.