Disney's strategy of revisiting its animated classics has hit another roadblock. The live-action adaptation of Moana may have debuted at the top of the North American box office, but its opening numbers have fallen well below industry expectations, making it one of the studio's weakest live-action remake launches in recent years.

Starring Catherine Laga'aia as Moana alongside Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as Maui, the film collected around $43 million in North America and $95 million worldwide during its opening weekend. While those figures were enough to secure the No. 1 spot, they are modest for a film carrying a reported $250 million production budget, raising concerns about its long-term box office prospects.

The performance is particularly surprising considering the popularity of the franchise. The original animated Moana (2016) went on to gross more than $640 million worldwide, while Moana 2 crossed the $1 billion mark globally. Industry analysts believe the remake suffered because audiences saw little reason to revisit a story that remains one of Disney+'s most-streamed films, especially so soon after the success of its sequel. Tough competition from family titles such as Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters also impacted its opening weekend.

The film has also reignited the debate surrounding Disney's live-action remake strategy. Unlike earlier adaptations such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, which transformed decades-old classics into event films, Moana arrived less than a decade after the original animation and less than two years after Moana 2. Many industry observers believe that familiarity, rather than nostalgia, worked against the remake.

Although audience reactions have been considerably more positive than critics' reviews, Moana now faces the difficult task of sustaining its theatrical run through strong word-of-mouth. With its expensive production cost, the film will need exceptional legs at the global box office to avoid joining the list of Disney's recent live-action disappointments.

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