Moana Live-Action Remake Opens Soft with $45 Million Weekend, Faces Uphill Profitability Climb

Disney's live-action remake of "Moana" opened to $18 million on its first Friday from 3,875 North American theaters, with rival estimates projecting a $45 million opening weekend, according to Variety. The debut landed atop the domestic box office but fell short of studio expectations, as culturedailynews.com described the Friday figure as "muted."

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Variety'Moana' Live-Action Remake Opens Below Expectations with $18 Million Friday, $45 Million Weekend Projectedculturedailynews.comBox Office: ‘Moana’ Makes $18 Million on Opening Day

The $45 million weekend projection comes in significantly below the $56 million debut of the original 2016 animated film, Variety reported. Adding to the challenge, Disney's production budget for the live-action version has swelled to $250 million, up from $175 million for the original, making the path to profitability steep.

"Moana opened to a muted $18 million on Friday"

That lukewarm reception underscores the difficulties facing the remake, which needs unusually strong staying power at the box office to recoup its costs.

"[The film] needs strong legs at the box office to justify its costs"

With a $250 million price tag and a weekend haul well short of the original's first weekend, the live-action "Moana" now depends on sustained audience turnout in the weeks ahead to avoid becoming a financial disappointment for Disney.