Live-Action Moana Draws $4.5M in Previews as Fans Question a Remake So Soon
Disney's live-action Moana opened Thursday previews with $4.5M, coming in below a forecast that shrank all week, while critics landed at 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. Arriving less than two years after the record-setting animated Moana 2, the debut has Disney fans debating whether the remake set sail too soon.
Disney's live-action Moana opened its Thursday preview screenings with $4.5M, a soft start that landed below the studio's own scaled-back forecast. With critics sitting at 35% on Rotten Tomatoes and the animated Moana 2 still fresh in memory, the debut has Disney fans debating whether the remake set sail too soon.
Key Details
- Film: Disney's live-action Moana, in theaters now
- Director: Thomas Kail
- Stars: Dwayne Johnson as Maui, Catherine Laga'aia as Moana
- Thursday previews: $4.5M, from showtimes starting at 2 PM
- Rotten Tomatoes: 35% with critics, no audience score yet
- Reported budget: $250M before global marketing
The Buzz
Trade outlet Deadline reported the soft preview figure and a forecast that kept sliding through the week, and the numbers quickly became a weekend talking point across Disney fan circles. The debate is less about one night of grosses and more about whether Disney's live-action remake strategy has hit a wall.
How the preview numbers stack up
The $4.5M preview haul actually clears a couple of recent live-action remakes at the same stage. It topped Snow White ($3.5M in previews on the way to a $42.2M opening) and Dumbo ($2.6M previews, $45.99M opening). It fell short of the bigger performers, though, including The Little Mermaid ($10.3M previews, $95.5M three-day opening) and Aladdin ($7M previews, $91.5M three-day opening). And it lands far below the animated Moana 2, which pulled $13.8M in Tuesday previews before Thanksgiving on its way to a $139.7M three-day debut.
A forecast that kept sliding
The projection moved the wrong way all week. Early hopes pointed to a low $60M opening, but exhibitors trimmed that to a high-$40M range, and presales heading into the weekend sat around $4M. That leaves the film leaning heavily on walk-up business, always a nervier bet for a title carrying a reported $250M price tag before global marketing.
A crowded family-movie summer
Timing is part of the story. The family lane is already busy: Toy Story 5 has been a runaway hit, and Minions and Monsters has piled up $87.7M in its first nine days. Add the sense that a live-action Moana is arriving less than two years after the enormous animated Moana 2, and the "too much, too soon" worry starts to take shape. The upside for Disney is that Moana stays the only fresh family option for the next few weeks, before Universal's The Odyssey and Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day crowd the calendar, so strong midweek business could soften a light opening.
What critics are saying
The 35% Rotten Tomatoes score puts this remake below other recent Disney live-action outings, including Snow White (39%), Dumbo (46%), and Aladdin (57%). No audience score had posted as of the preview night, which leaves the key question of whether general moviegoers feel differently from critics unanswered heading into the weekend.
Why fans are buzzing
Disney's run of live-action remakes has split fans for years, and Moana has become the latest test case. Some see a beloved 2016 original and a chart-topping sequel that simply do not need a third telling this quickly. Others point to the film's newcomer lead, Catherine Laga'aia, and the chance to put Pacific Islander storytelling on the big screen in a fresh way. Either way, the verdict comes down to whether families turn out over the weekend, and that is exactly the number Disney fans will be watching next.