Disney's Dana Walden Blames Live-Action Moana Flop on Timing
Walden said the live-action Moana opened about 18 months after Moana 2, leaving too little time to build demand.
Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden said the live-action Moana failed at the box office because it opened too soon after Moana 2. According to Bleeding Cool, Walden said the gap between the two films left no room to build audience demand.
Walden said the live-action Moana premiered about 18 months after Moana 2, which was not enough time to create pent-up demand for another trip to the franchise.
The live-action Moana grossed just over $320 million worldwide, against a reported budget of $250 million.
Moana 2, by contrast, grossed over a billion dollars and premiered about 18 months before the live-action film.
Disney's wider slate
Disney has other franchise projects in the pipeline: a sequel to Lilo & Stitch is in the works, Tangled is in development, and a new Sleeping Beauty film was announced last month from director Dan Trachtenberg. Disney's Snow White also underperformed.
Quick answers
Why did the live-action Moana fail at the box office?
Disney president and chief creative officer Dana Walden said it opened too soon after Moana 2, about 18 months later, which did not leave enough time to create pent-up demand.
How much did the live-action Moana gross?
It grossed just over $320 million worldwide against a reported budget of $250 million.
How much did Moana 2 gross?
Moana 2 grossed over a billion dollars.