Disney’s $250 Million Adventure Movie Officially Failed to Undo Its Disappointment on Disney+
A costly theatrical disappointment
Disney expected the live-action Moana remake to benefit from the popularity of the animated films. Released in theaters this summer, the remake had substantial box-office expectations, following Moana 2’s worldwide gross of more than $1 billion two years earlier.
Instead, the $250 million production earned $323 million worldwide. After its opening weekend, projections indicated Disney could lose more than $100 million. CEO Josh D’Amaro argued that revenue beyond theaters was substantial and expected the film to attract viewers on Disney+.
Strong chart position, fewer countries
Moana debuted worldwide on Disney+ on October 21 and quickly reached the top of the service’s charts. Nearly three weeks later, it remained number one globally, according to FlixPatrol.
But the film’s reach had narrowed: it led in 71 countries initially and 14 later, including the United States. Disney had not announced viewing figures for the remake, unlike its practice of publicizing major streaming successes.
A modest streaming debut
Nielsen data recorded 579 million minutes watched from October 19–25, the week the film arrived on Disney+. Based on its 115-minute runtime, that equals just over 5 million views. The total made it the week’s biggest movie across streaming, but was low by Disney’s standards.
Netflix & Chiffres reported that the first five days produced one of the lowest launches for a live-action Disney theatrical movie on the service. Moana edged out The Fantastic Four: First Steps and ranked ahead of Freakier Friday and Tron: Ares. The Little Mermaid began with 10.2 million views, Lilo & Stitch with 7.4 million, and Snow White with 5.3 million.
Animated films set a higher bar
The remake’s performance differs from that of the animated Moana films. The original has been a popular Disney+ title since the service launched in 2019 and was the most-watched movie across streaming services in 2023. By March 2025, it had accumulated more than 1.4 billion lifetime viewing hours, equivalent to 730 million views.
Moana 2 also launched strongly, with Disney reporting 27.5 million views in its first five days. It later became Disney+’s most-watched movie of 2025, reaching 80 million views, according to What’s On Disney Plus. Both animated films charted on Disney+ before the remake’s release.
Key points
- The $250 million remake earned $323 million worldwide in theaters.
- Nielsen recorded 579 million viewing minutes during its first Disney+ week.
- The film’s first five days brought just over 5 million estimated views.
- The animated Moana films drew substantially larger audiences on Disney+.