The film earned $18 million on Friday from 3,875 theaters across the United States and Canada. Industry estimates project an opening weekend of about $45 million, a figure that falls short of the $56 million opening weekend posted by the original animated Moana in 2016.
The slower-than-expected start is notable given the film's reported $250 million production budget, significantly higher than the approximately $175 million spent on the original animated feature. The latest adaptation will likely need a lengthy theatrical run and strong international earnings to recover its production costs.
Disney entered the project with high expectations, driven by the enduring popularity of the Moana franchise. The 2016 animated film grossed $642 million worldwide and became one of the most-streamed titles on Disney+. Its sequel, "Moana 2," released after being redeveloped from a planned streaming series, broke Thanksgiving weekend box office records with a $225 million debut before surpassing $1 billion globally.
However, Disney's live-action remake strategy has delivered mixed results in recent years. Earlier successes such as "The Jungle Book," "Beauty and the Beast," and "The Lion King" generated hundreds of millions—if not billions—of dollars worldwide. More recent remakes, including "The Little Mermaid" and "Snow White," struggled to meet commercial expectations, while "Lilo & Stitch" emerged as a rare standout after crossing the $1 billion mark following its 2025 release.
Industry observers have increasingly pointed to audience fatigue with familiar intellectual property and remakes as studios continue revisiting established franchises.
Like its animated predecessor, the live-action "Moana" follows a young Polynesian girl who embarks on a daring voyage to save her island from an ancient curse. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui, while newcomer Catherine Laga'aia takes on the title role. The cast also includes John Tui, Frankie Adams, Rena Owen and Jemaine Clement, with Thomas Kail directing the film.
Among the weekend's other new releases, Warner Bros.' "Evil Dead Burn" opened in second place after earning $6.7 million on Friday from 3,004 theaters. The horror sequel is projected to finish the weekend with approximately $15 million, below the $25 million opening achieved by "Evil Dead Rise" in 2023.
Despite the softer debut, the franchise's relatively modest production budgets mean the latest installment has a lower threshold to reach profitability.
Directed by Sébastien Vanicek, "Evil Dead Burn" stars Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, Greta van den Brink and Tandi Wright in a supernatural thriller centered on a grieving widow whose family becomes possessed by deadites.
Universal's animated "Minions & Monsters" continued its strong theatrical run, placing third after collecting $6.5 million on Friday. The film is expected to earn $21 million over the weekend, representing a 43% decline from its opening frame while lifting its domestic total to approximately $108 million.
Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5" claimed fourth place with $5.7 million on Friday. The film is projected to add $18 million over the weekend, increasing its domestic earnings to roughly $403 million after four weekends in theaters. The animated sequel is also expected to surpass the $1 billion mark globally, positioning it to overtake "Toy Story 4" as the highest-grossing installment in the franchise.
Rounding out the top five was A24's comedy-drama "The Invite," which earned $2.4 million on Friday during its first weekend of wide release. Produced on a reported $12 million budget following its Sundance premiere, the film stars director Olivia Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in a story about a couple whose dinner party takes an unexpected turn.