Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’ may be the No. 1 movie at the domestic box office, but it did not make a big splash in its first weekend in theaters. The movie, which cost a reported $250 million to produce, earned just $43 million from ticket sales in the US and Canada.
International Box Office
Internationally, it earned $52 million from 50 markets, adding up to a $95 million global debut. The studio bet big on ‘Moana,’ one of its most popular franchises. The 2016 animated film is the most watched movie on Disney+.
The latest ‘Moana,’ directed by Thomas Kail, brings Dwayne Johnson back as the demigod Maui and introduces Catherine Lagaʻaia as the adventuring Polynesian princess. Despite praise for Lagaʻaia, the film set sail on a wave of dismal reviews from critics for being essentially a shot-for-shot remake of the original.
Audience Reaction
Audiences, the majority of whom were women (66%), were less negative: According to PostTrak, 63% said they would ‘definitely’ recommend the film to their friends. Parent reactions were even stronger, with 78% saying they would recommend it to other parents. It also got a promising A- CinemaScore.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
