Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana, starring WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has opened to disappointing box office numbers.
Released on July 10, the live-action Moana features The Rock as the shapeshifting demigod, Maui. Coming out amid high expectations, the numbers, in terms of both ratings and box office figures, have turned out to be disappointing for the film.
Moana drew only $95,142,824 in its opening weekend, including $43,142,824 domestic and $52,000,000 international, against a production budget of $250 million (not including marketing). Disney reportedly projected a $60-65 million domestic debut and $140 million internationally.
However, Moana is not Disney’s worst live-action remake so far. It has surpassed 2025’s Snow White, which drew $42 million during the domestic opening weekend. The movie ended its run with 87 million domestically and $205 million worldwide. So it will be interesting to see how well The Rock’s movie performs in the coming days.
The Rock believes Maui is based on his grandfather
Speaking to Rotten Tomatoes correspondent Nikki Novak to promote Moana, director Thomas Kail explained how The Rock’s pro wrestling background helped him to film some intense physical action sequences in the movie.
“Then we had Dwayne getting just tossed and like battered during it too. So I think his professional wrestling days really help you there because you can throw anything at him, and he’s like, ‘That’s all you got?’” When asked about the conversations he had with The Rock about the action scenes, including one where he gets thrown to the ground and doused with water, the director said, ” Well, I will say that the moment that you just singled out when he gets doused with water, Dwayne was like, ‘That’s not enough water. Like, I need more water.’”
He then noted that the movie is a deeply personal project for The Rock. Johnson believes his character Maui is based on his own grandfather, the High Chief Peter Maivia.
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