Box Office: ‘Moana’ Struggles With $52 Million Overseas, ‘Toy Story 5’ Powers to $879 Million Globally
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- Moana live-action remake debuted to $95M worldwide ($43M domestic, $52M international) against Disney's $130M–$140M projection, on a $250M production budget; top markets were Australia ($5.3M), France ($5.2M), and Korea ($3.8M), while China delivered only $1.2M.
- The film ranks alongside 2025's Snow White ($44M overseas, $87M global) as one of Disney's weakest live-action remake starts, with the source noting the 2016 original may be too recent for the nostalgia engine that fueled '90s/2000s remakes crossing $1B.
- Toy Story 5 added $45M from 50 markets in its fourth weekend for $879.1M global ($475.3M overseas), tracking to surpass 2019's "Toy Story 4" ($1.07B) as the franchise's biggest entry.
- Minions and Monsters dropped 44% internationally in its second weekend to $39M from 79 territories, reaching $280M global; produced for $85M, it will still turn a profit for Universal.
- Evil Dead Burn opened to $27M worldwide ($13.3M overseas, $13.7M domestic), led by India ($1.5M) and the UK ($1.2M); its $20M budget and sixth-installment franchise position mean low breakeven pressure.
- Michael crossed $1B globally — the second 2026 release and first biopic ever to hit the milestone — prompting Universal's Veronika Kwan Vandenberg to call it a "cultural phenomenon."
- Moana earned kinder audience reception than its critical drubbing would suggest, per the source, which could matter for word-of-mouth legs — an angle Variety's headline-led coverage and peers like Deadline lean on less heavily.
Why it matters: Disney spent $250M on a live-action remake that opened 32% below its own low-end forecast, validating the risk flagged by 'Snow White's' 2025 flop and putting pressure on the 2028 'Tangled' remake. Meanwhile, Universal's biopic 'Michael' became the first of its genre to cross $1B, and 'Toy Story 5' is on pace to dethrone 'Toy Story 4' as the franchise's top earner — a stark split between established IP and brand-new releases.
