Disney has acknowledged that the 2026 live-action Moana did not meet the company’s theatrical expectations, while also arguing that box office is only one part of the value a major franchise film can create. The comments came during Disney’s August earnings discussion and were reported by Variety.
The result makes Moana an interesting example of how modern studios measure franchise success. A movie can disappoint in cinemas while still being expected to support streaming, merchandise, music, theme-park experiences and future stories.
What did Disney say about Moana’s box office?
Variety reported that Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said the live-action Moana and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu had performed below the company’s box-office expectations. He did not describe the films as worthless investments. Instead, he argued that franchise movies can create benefits elsewhere across Disney’s businesses.
At the time of the August 6 report, Variety said the live-action Moana had earned about $262 million worldwide. The publication also noted the film’s large production budget, which made the theatrical result more difficult for the movie to recover through ticket sales alone.
Why Disney says box office is only one part of the picture
Disney owns franchises that operate across several businesses at once. A movie can introduce or refresh characters, increase demand for toys, boost music streams, encourage theme-park visits and later become a major streaming title. D’Amaro’s argument is that those connected benefits need to be considered alongside the theatrical total.
That is particularly relevant to Moana. The animated original became one of Disney+’s most-watched films, the soundtrack has remained popular and the characters have a significant presence in Disney merchandise and parks. A live-action remake can therefore affect more than cinema revenue even if its ticket sales fall below expectations.
Why expectations were so high for Moana
Moana is one of Disney’s most recognisable modern animated properties. The 2016 film maintained a long life after its original release, and Moana 2 expanded the audience further. That history created an assumption that a live-action version could turn familiarity with Moana and Maui into another large theatrical event.
The remake also had Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui, connecting the live-action film directly to one of the voices most associated with the original. Those advantages made the softer theatrical result more noticeable because the project entered cinemas with a level of awareness many original films never receive.
Does underperforming mean the movie was a total failure?
Not necessarily. “Underperformed” means the film did not reach the financial level the studio expected from its theatrical run. It does not mean nobody watched it, and it does not measure whether individual viewers enjoyed it. It also does not include every source of revenue a franchise can generate later.
Disney’s own comments make that distinction clear. The company wants stronger theatrical results, but it also views films as part of a larger system in which streaming and consumer products can continue generating value after cinemas move on to newer releases.
What could this mean for future Disney remakes?
The result may increase attention on budgets and timing. A familiar title is not automatically guaranteed to become a theatrical event, especially if audiences feel they have seen a similar version recently. Disney has to decide whether the advantage of brand recognition is strong enough to justify the cost of recreating major animated properties in live action.
That does not mean Disney is abandoning remakes. The studio has had successful live-action reinterpretations as well as disappointments. The more likely lesson is that each project will be judged on how distinctive it feels, how much it costs and how much time has passed since audiences last visited the same characters.
Why streaming could be important for Moana
D’Amaro specifically pointed toward Disney+ as part of the longer-term value of the live-action film. The original animated Moana has been unusually strong on streaming, giving Disney reason to believe the remake can continue attracting viewers after its theatrical window.
Streaming does not erase a disappointing cinema result, but it changes how long a film remains useful to the company. A title that becomes part of a frequently watched family catalogue can continue supporting subscriptions and franchise awareness for years.
Follow Moana on Peleza
Visit the Moana movie page for Peleza’s title information and connected coverage. Peleza also has a dedicated Movie Guide for readers who want the story setup, cast and title details rather than the business side of the release.
Franchise value is not the same as single-film profitability
Disney’s explanation highlights an important distinction. A studio can believe a franchise remains valuable while also admitting that one theatrical release did not perform well enough. Those two statements are not contradictory. The first describes the long-term value of characters and intellectual property; the second describes the financial result of one movie in one release window.
For audiences, that means strong merchandise sales or streaming engagement should not be used to pretend the cinema result was stronger than it was. At the same time, a disappointing theatrical run does not automatically mean Disney will stop developing the property if the wider Moana brand continues attracting viewers elsewhere.
What this says about Disney’s current strategy
The company is effectively treating major films as the centre of a larger ecosystem. The theatrical release creates attention, but the same characters can continue generating value through Disney+, music, consumer products, games and parks. That model makes the initial movie important without making it the only measure that matters internally.
The risk is cost. A very expensive movie still needs substantial revenue somewhere in the system to justify the investment. If theatrical performance weakens, Disney has more pressure to show that the streaming and consumer-products benefits are real enough to compensate. Future remakes may therefore be judged as much on budget discipline as on brand recognition.
Source: Variety Australia reported Disney’s comments and the available box-office figures on August 6, 2026. Read the original Variety report.
