Moana remake underperforms with $45M debut as Toy Story 5 and Minions dominate

Disney’s live‑action Moana remake opened to about $45 million domestically (18.2 million on opening day) from 3,872 theaters, well below projections as competition from Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5 dampened momentum; overseas numbers were weak (UK opening day around £775,000). With a budget of at least $200 million plus roughly $100 million in marketing, the film faces an uphill path to profitability despite strong interest in the original’s franchise, aided only modestly by merchandising and park revenue. CinemaScore is A-, indicating decent audience reception but not enough to offset the tepid box-office debut.