Disney’s live-action Moana, starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia, faced rough waters during its opening weekend. The reimagining of the studio’s 2016 animated feature debuted below industry expectations.
‘Moana’ Leads With $43 Million
Director Thomas Kail’s film opened in first place with $43 million from 3,900 North American theaters. The total fell well short of the targeted $60 million or more after early tracking suggested the film could reach $75 million.
Audiences gave Moana an A- CinemaScore. The film carries a $250 million production budget, which puts pressure on Disney to attract families throughout the summer. Currently, the movie is on track to lose $100 – $125 million.
The movie added $52 million from international markets. It will face new competition next weekend when Universal releases Christopher Nolan’s R-rated The Odyssey.
Families and Younger Viewers Embrace the Film
Women made up 66 percent of the opening weekend audience. That demographic could help Moana when it competes against the more male-skewing The Odyssey.
Parents with children accounted for 56 percent of ticket buyers. That figure is higher than the turnout for most Disney live-action remakes.
Viewers under 18 responded especially well to the film. They awarded Moana an A+ CinemaScore.
Opening Recalls Disney’s ‘Snow White’
The debut resembles the $42 million opening of Snow White in March 2025. That film starred Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot and became a box office disappointment.
Snow White earned a B+ CinemaScore and carried a $270 million production budget. Disney paused development on its planned live-action Tangled adaptation several weeks after the film’s subdued debut.
The studio revived Tangled in the fall following the success of Lilo & Stitch. That film opened with $146 million in North America in May 2025 and later crossed $1 billion worldwide.
Tangled is now in production in Spain. Disney is also developing a live-action sequel to Lilo & Stitch.
‘Evil Dead Burn’ Opens in Fourth Place
Warner Bros.’ Evil Dead Burn also opened in wide release. The horror film took fourth place with $13.7 million domestically.
Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright and Hunter Doohan star in director Sébastien Vanicek’s film. It is the sixth installment in the Evil Dead franchise, which began with Sam Raimi’s 1981 original.
‘Minions & Monsters’ Holds Strong
Universal’s Minions & Monsters provided family competition for Moana during its second weekend. The film earned $20.5 million and finished in second place.
Its ticket sales declined by just 45 percent from its opening weekend. The animated feature has now collected $108.2 million domestically.
Minions & Monsters previously recorded the lowest opening weekend in Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise. The series launched in 2010.
‘Toy Story 5’ Nears $900 Million Worldwide
Disney’s Toy Story 5 took third place with $18.5 million. The animated sequel features the return of voice stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
Its latest earnings raised the film’s worldwide total to $879.1 million. The sequel continues to move closer to the $900 million global mark.
‘Young Washington’ Completes the Top Five
Angel Studios’ Young Washington rounded out the top five with $6.4 million. The film dropped 66 percent during its second weekend.
William Franklyn-Miller stars as a twentysomething George Washington. The film has earned $33.1 million since opening over the Fourth of July weekend.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Sunday, July 12, are as follows.
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana | Disney | $43,000,000 | 3,875 | $11,097 | $43,000,000 | |
| 2 | Minions & Monsters | Universal | $20,500,000 | 4,244 | $4,830 | $108,273,000 | -45% |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | Disney | $18,500,000 | 3,575 | $5,175 | 403,772,720 | -39% |
| 4 | Evil Dead Burn | Warner Bros. | $13,700,000 | 3,004 | $4,561 | 13,700,000 | |
| 5 | Young Washington | Angel Studios | $6,447,757 | 2,771 | $2,327 | $33,105,849 | -67% |
| 6 | Invite, The | A24 | $5,721,062 | 1,610 | $3,553 | 7,384,507 | 712% |
| 7 | Obsession | Focus Features | $3,800,000 | 2,069 | $1,837 | 253,322,000 | -27% |
| 8 | Supergirl | Warner Bros. | $3,560,000 | 2,584 | $1,378 | 66,001,000 | -59% |
| 9 | Disclosure Day | Universal | $3,200,000 | 2,204 | $1,452 | 111,314,000 | -44% |
| 10 | Backrooms | A24 | $1,485,500 | 1,262 | $1,177 | 194,197,303 | -54% |
| 11 | Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass | Sony Pictures Classics | $953,724 | 1,000 | $954 | 953,724 | |
| 12 | My Neighbor Totoro – Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 | Fathom Entertainment | $815,689 | 1,141 | $715 | 815,689 |
