“Moana” led Friday’s box office, but the live-action remake probably wasn’t the domestic hit Disney was hoping for.
“Moana” grossed just $18 million Friday from 3,875 theaters in North America. Rivals estimates the film will have grossed $45 million through its opening weekend, less than the $56 million the original Moana made when it premiered in 2016. Disney spent $250 million on the live-action remake, more than the $175 million it spent on its animated sibling, meaning Moana will need to remain in theaters for a while to justify the cost.
There’s a reason why Disney bet big on the live-action version of “Moana.” “Moana” is one of Disney’s most popular franchises, both in home entertainment and at the box office. The first film grossed $642 million by the end of its run, making it one of the most-watched titles in Disney+ history. “Moana 2,” a reimagining of the defunct TV show “Moana” for streaming, set a Thanksgiving weekend record with an opening of $225 million. It grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
In recent years, pulling off live-action remakes has been a tightrope for the Mouse House. 2016’s The Jungle Book ($967 million worldwide), 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($1.26 billion worldwide), and 2019’s The Lion King (worldwide). ($1.6 billion) all made big money, but recent films like 2023’s The Little Mermaid ($569 million worldwide) and 2025’s Snow White have also been big hits. ($205 million worldwide), failed to build enough business to justify the cost. The live-action version of “Lilo & Stitch” managed to gross $1 billion at the box office after its May 2025 release, but that success now seems like an outlier. The decline in profits is likely due to audience fatigue from IPs and remakes, and these Disney productions are a cocktail of both.
Like the 2016 original, the new “Moana” follows a Polynesian girl who leaves her home island for the first time to stop the spread of an ancient curse. Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as the demigod Maui. Katherine LaGaia will co-star with him in the title role. Other cast members include John Tsui, Frankie Adams, Lena Owen, and Jemaine Clement. Thomas Kail, who directed Disney’s theatrical version of “Hamilton,” directed the live-action “Moana.”
Two major newcomers joined the box office on Friday: The Evil Dead and The Invite. “The Evil Dead Burn” came in second place with $6.7 million on 3,004 domestic screens. It is expected to gross an estimated $15 million by Sunday, less than the $25 million its 2023 predecessor “Evil Dead Rises” debuted. The film grossed $147 million worldwide. Fortunately for Warner Bros., the movie “Evil Dead” is being made at a very low cost, so it won’t take long to bring “Burn” out of the red.
“Evil Dead Burn” is the story of a widow who ends up living with her in-laws, only to end up with them all dead. The cast includes Suheila Yacob, Hunter Doohan, Lucian Buchanan, Errol Shand, Greta van den Brink, and Thandie Wright. Sebastien Vanicek directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Florent Bernard and Evil Dead mastermind Sam Raimi.
A24’s “The Invite” entered No. 5 domestically on Friday with $2.4 million in its first weekend of wide release. It’s a promising launch considering A24 only spent $12 million on the film after its Sundance premiere. The Invite, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde, is about a couple on the brink of divorce who invite their free-spirited upstairs neighbors to a dinner party. Other cast members include Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton, and more.
In third place on Friday was Minions & Monsters, which added $6.5 million into its second weekend in North American theaters. By Sunday, the film is expected to have grossed $21 million, a 43% drop from its debut film’s $61 million. The domestic total is expected to reach $108 by the end of the week.
Finally, “Toy Story 5” ranked in fourth place with $5.7 million. The film has raised about $18 million by Sunday, and is expected to reach $403 million domestically by the end of its fourth weekend. It’s only a matter of time before Toy Story 5 crosses the coveted $1 billion mark, overtaking Toy Story 4 ($1.07 billion) and becoming the series’ highest-grossing movie.
