Disney is heading back to the islands this weekend with its live action adaptation of Moana, starring Dwayne Johnson and newcomer Catherine Laga'aia. The film is expected to make a strong opening at the North American box office, although expectations have cooled slightly over the past few weeks.
Directed by Thomas Kail, Moana is currently projected to earn between $60 million and $65 million during its opening weekend across roughly 3,900 theaters in the United States and Canada. Earlier tracking had been more optimistic, with some forecasts suggesting the movie could debut at $75 million or more.
Even with the lower projections, the film still has a solid chance of delivering another successful launch for Disney's live action lineup. The studio is coming off the strong performance of 2025's Lilo & Stitch, which proved audiences are still interested in updated versions of its animated classics.
One factor working against Moana is timing. The original franchise remains fresh in audiences' minds after its most recent animated installment arrived less than two years ago, leaving Disney with a smaller nostalgia gap than many of its previous live action remakes.
