Additional Coverage:
- ‘Moana’ joins ‘Snow White’ as the latest live-action Disney film to bomb at box office (foxnews.com)
Disney’s Live-Action Remake Strategy Faces Major Setbacks with Recent Flops
For nearly a decade, Disney has largely shifted away from original storytelling, choosing instead to reimagine its classic animated hits as live-action films. While some adaptations, such as 2015’s Cinderella, 2016’s The Jungle Book, and the 2019 The Lion King remake-which grossed a staggering $1.7 billion worldwide-found success either critically or commercially, others have faltered badly.
Most recently, the studio’s live-action Moana has been met with harsh criticism and disappointing box office returns, signaling that the era of easy live-action remakes may be drawing to a close. Following the financial disaster of 2025’s Snow White, which lost Disney $170 million and was plagued by miscasting and negative publicity, Moana appears to be heading down a similar path.
With an estimated production budget of $250 million and marketing costs likely pushing the total to $350 million, Moana needed to earn roughly $700 million worldwide just to break even. Its opening weekend brought in only $43 million domestically, falling far short of Disney’s projected $60-$65 million.
If the typical box office pattern holds, the film could end up with around $107 million in the U.S. and a global total nowhere near the break-even point. This compares unfavorably to the original 2016 animated Moana, which earned $248 million domestically (about $346.5 million adjusted for inflation).
Critics and audiences alike cited numerous flaws in the new Moana, including unimpressive special effects, dull and desaturated visuals that failed to capture the original’s vibrant world, and a noticeably poor wig worn by star Dwayne Johnson. Johnson’s comments on representation during pre-release interviews, although well-intentioned, were perceived by some as pandering and did little to boost enthusiasm.
The mounting losses underscore the risks of relying heavily on costly remakes that struggle to justify their expenses or creative choices. With a dwindling slate of animated classics left to revisit and new leadership at Disney, it seems likely the studio will need to reconsider this strategy. Moving forward, Disney may prioritize original content and more thoughtful adaptations rather than continuing the costly, and increasingly unpopular, cycle of live-action remakes.