（Image source: Disney Pictures）
The live-action "Moana" hit theaters worldwide last week, but its box office performance has fallen far short of expectations. The massive production, boasting a budget of $250 million, only grossed $43 million in its North American opening weekend. This marks one of the weakest opening performances for a Disney live-action adaptation, even falling short of the live-action "Dumbo," which debuted with $45.99 million.
Internationally, the live-action "Moana" took in $52 million. Combined with its North American haul, its global opening weekend total reached approximately $95 million.
（Image source: Disney Pictures）
This performance even lagged behind "The Little Mermaid," one of Disney's most controversial live-action films in recent years. Despite significant casting backlash, "The Little Mermaid" still managed a respectable $118 million in its first week. The live-action "Moana"'s opening is instead closer to last year's live-action "Snow White," which also faced casting controversies. "Snow White" only earned $42.2 million in its opening week, and "Moana," which had no such controversy, only surpassed it by $800,000.
（Image source: Disney Pictures）
Given that the live-action "Snow White" ultimately grossed just over $200 million globally, and "Dumbo" finished with just over $300 million, "Moana"'s final box office is expected to fall within a similar range. This represents a massive drop compared to the animated franchise's first installment, which earned $680 million, and its sequel, which took in $1.059 billion. Earlier, trade outlets Deadline and Variety both projected that Disney could ultimately face losses ranging from $100 million to $125 million on the film.