Disney had a major thing with “Moana” in 2016, the title a critical and commercial hit that has lingered on the Disney+ streaming charts.
The sequel, originally planned for direct-to-streaming, went to the cinemas instead in 2024. While the reaction wasn’t as good as the original (ala. “Frozen 2”), it was a major box-office smash that crossed the $1 billion mark.
But then came the live-action film and the result was decidedly underwhelming. The critics loathed it, social media was fixated on its poor VFX and Dwayne Johnson’s wig, and the audience didn’t really show up.
The result was a film that cost $370 million to make and market, made $323 million worldwide and ultimately lost the studio around $100 million.
Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Los Angeles, Disney President and CCO Dana Walden says she knows who’s to blame – the studio itself for trying the live-action adaptation too soon:
“It’s so competitive right now that you have to have … the right film at the right time, with audiences feeling a certain degree of demand. I would say our live-action ‘Moana,’ which is excellent, I think it was hurt by the proximity to our second animated version of ‘Moana,’ which came together under unusual circumstances, but premiered about 18 months before this one. So perhaps there was not enough time to create a lot of pent-up demand for another film.”
Walden indicated that despite the setback, there are plans to do more with the “Moana” franchise down the line as owning its IP allows Disney to generate revenue from it far beyond box office performance.
