Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’ is heading for a disappointing $45 million domestic debut, despite leading the weekend box office.

Directed by Thomas Kail and starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia, the remake earned roughly $18 million on Friday, including previews, from 3,900 North American cinemas. The result falls well below Disney’s $60 million-plus target and earlier projections of up to $75 million.

The film received an A- CinemaScore but carries a reported $250 million production budget, meaning it will need strong family turnout over the summer. Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ arrives next weekend, adding further competition.

Its opening is close to the $42 million debut of Disney’s ‘Snow White’ in March 2025. That film, which cost around $270 million, became a box office disappointment and prompted Disney to temporarily pause its live-action ‘Tangled’ remake. The project later resumed following the success of ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ which opened to $146 million domestically and passed $1 billion worldwide.

The original animated ‘Moana’ opened with $82 million over Thanksgiving in 2016 and grossed $643 million globally. Its 2024 sequel performed even better, launching with $225 million over five days and surpassing $1 billion worldwide. However, releasing ‘Moana 2’ less than two years before the remake may have complicated the live-action film’s arrival.

Meanwhile, Universal’s ‘Minions & Monsters’ is expected to finish second with $21 million, bringing its domestic total to $108 million. Disney’s ‘Toy Story 5’ follows with a projected $18.6 million after passing $800 million globally.

Warner Bros.’ ‘Evil Dead Burn’ opened in fourth place with $6.7 million on Friday. The sixth instalment in the horror franchise earned a B CinemaScore and follows ‘Evil Dead Rise,’ which debuted with $24.5 million in 2023.

Angel Studios’ ‘Young Washington’ rounds out the top five with an estimated $2.1 million on Friday during its second weekend.

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