Disney’s live-action Moana sailed to the top of the domestic box office this weekend, but its $43 million debut fell well below expectations. Opening across 3,875 North American theaters, the remake claimed the No. 1 spot at U S box office but finished significantly below pre-release projections, which had generally ranged between $60 million and $80 million. The softer-than-expected launch also contributed to a quieter overall weekend at the domestic box office, raising fresh questions about the commercial momentum of Disney’s live-action remake strategy.
While Hollywood’s summer season remains one of the strongest since 2019, Moana became the latest high-profile release to underperform after Supergirl and Minions & Monsters also delivered softer-than-expected openings in recent weeks.
Unlike Disney’s Snow White, which faced months of controversy before its release, Moana arrived in theaters without any major off-screen issues. Instead, industry observers have suggested that the relatively short gap between Moana 2, which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, and the live-action remake may have limited the nostalgia factor that has traditionally benefited Disney’s biggest live-action adaptations.
Despite the modest debut, audience reactions were generally positive. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, with younger viewers responding particularly well. The challenge now will be sustaining momentum as Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey arrives in theaters next weekend, bringing one of the year’s most anticipated releases into the marketplace.
At the international box office, Moana added $52 million, bringing its worldwide opening weekend to $95 million. While the film still has several major international territories left to open, the debut remains below expectations for a production reportedly carrying a budget of around $250 million, excluding global marketing costs.
Universal’s Minions & Monsters held on to second place with $20.5 million in its second weekend, dropping a healthy 45% from its debut. The animated adventure has now earned $108.2 million domestically, demonstrating strong family appeal despite facing fresh competition from Moana. The solid hold suggests audiences continue to embrace the franchise, even after it posted the lowest opening weekend in the series.
Pixar’s Toy Story 5 continued its impressive run, finishing third with $18.5 million in its fourth weekend. The sequel declined just 39%, pushing its domestic total to $403.8 million and cementing its position as one of the summer’s biggest success stories. The film recently surpassed Finding Nemo to become Pixar’s sixth-highest-grossing release in North America and continues to perform exceptionally well thanks to strong family attendance and positive word of mouth.
Worldwide, Toy Story 5 has now reached $879.1 million, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2026 behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael. With Germany still scheduled to open on July 23, the sequel remains on course to become the year’s third billion-dollar release if its current momentum continues and could ultimately surpass Toy Story 4 as the franchise’s highest-grossing installment.
Warner Bros. and New Line’s Evil Dead Burn debuted in fourth place with $13.7 million domestically. Although the opening fell below the $24.5 million launch of Evil Dead Rise in 2023, the sequel carries a reported production budget of approximately $20 million, giving it a comparatively lower break-even target than many recent studio releases. Internationally, the film added $13.3 million, lifting its worldwide total to $27 million after its opening weekend.
Rounding out the top five was Young Washington, which earned $6.4 million in its second weekend. The historical drama has now collected $33.1 million domestically following a steeper-than-expected second-weekend decline.
Further down the chart, A24’s The Invite expanded nationwide and delivered a solid $5.7 million weekend after opening in limited release. The Olivia Wilde-directed comedy has now grossed $7.3 million domestically, supported by positive reviews and encouraging audience reception following its nationwide expansion.
Meanwhile, Obsession continued its remarkable theatrical run, earning another $3.8 million in its ninth weekend. The supernatural horror hit declined just 27%, bringing its domestic total to $253.3 million and reinforcing its status as one of the year’s strongest word-of-mouth success stories. Fellow horror title Backrooms also remained in the Top 10, adding $1.48 million domestically to reach $194.1 million in North America and $375.7 million worldwide.
Away from the weekend chart, Michael surpassed the $1 billion mark worldwide, becoming the first biographical film in history to reach the milestone. It joins The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as only the second billion-dollar release of 2026, while Toy Story 5 continues its climb toward the mark.
Top 10 U.S. Box Office (Weekend)
- Moana — $43.0M (Week 1)
- Minions & Monsters — $20.5M (Week 2 | Total: $108.2M)
- Toy Story 5 — $18.5M (Week 4 | Total: $403.8M)
- Evil Dead Burn — $13.7M (Week 1)
- Young Washington — $6.44M (Week 2 | Total: $33.1M)
- The Invite — $5.7M (Week 3 | Total: $7.38M)
- Obsession — $3.8M (Week 9 | Total: $253.3M)
- Supergirl — $3.56M (Week 3 | Total: $66.0M)
- Disclosure Day — $3.2M (Week 5 | Total: $111.3M)
- Backrooms — $1.48M (Week 7 | Total: $194.1M)
As the summer box office heads into another major weekend, all eyes now turn to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which is expected to open strongly and take over premium large-format screens, reshaping next weekend’s domestic box office rankings. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day arriving later this month, competition for moviegoers is only set to intensify, leaving Moana with little time to build momentum following its softer-than-expected debut.
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