Walt Disney Company’s live-action remake of Moana earned $43 million in North America during its opening weekend and was the number one movie at the North American box office. The film also generated $95 million globally in its debut frame, with $52 million coming from 50 international markets.

The live-action adaptation, which carries a production budget of $250 million, was directed by Thomas Kail and stars Catherine Laga‘aia as Moana. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui from the original 2016 animated version, which was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Despite mixed critical reception—the film holds a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—it received strong audience approval. Viewers assigned it an A- CinemaScore, and according to PostTrak, 63% of audiences said they would definitely recommend the film to friends. Parental response was especially positive, with 78% of parents surveyed saying they would recommend the movie to other parents.

The audience for the film was majority female, with women making up 66% of ticket buyers. Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, noted the current box office environment, saying, “Families love going to the movies but right now there are three of them.” He added, “They could power a stronger August than July at the box office, which would be very unusual.”

Why It Matters

The performance of Moana contributes to a potential shift in seasonal box office trends, with family-oriented films possibly driving higher August revenues than July—a reversal of the typical summer pattern. The film’s strong opening, despite its high production cost and lukewarm critical response, underscores the continued commercial viability of Disney’s live-action remakes backed by audience familiarity and star power.