Live-Action Moana Tops Disney+ After Box-Office Shortfall
Its swift climb on the streamer shows family tentpoles can find big audiences at home even when theatrical ticket sales fail to meet expectations.
Overview
- The live-action Moana debuted on Disney+ on Wednesday and rose to the platform’s No. 1 film globally within days, according to streaming trackers.
- The film earned about $323.6–$323.8 million at the worldwide box office against a reported $250 million production budget, a result far below the original and its 2024 sequel.
- Critics gave the remake largely negative reviews, reflected in a roughly 33% Tomatometer score, with many calling the recreation underwhelming compared with the 2016 animated film.
- Dwayne Johnson returned as Maui and led the film’s publicity, making his casting a focal point of promotion even as the picture struggled on release.
- Industry coverage frames the streaming surge as an example of shifting viewing habits and faster theatrical-to-streaming windows, a trend that can boost a movie’s reach without erasing the studio’s theatrical revenue shortfall.