The live-action remake of the Disney animated movie of the same name raked in $95 million (Kshs. 12.2B) at the global Box Office when it opened on Friday in Kenya and around the world.
According to Deadline, the domestic haul for the movie, $43 million (Kshs. 5.5B), “underperformed studio expectations, which ranged from $60 million (Kshs. 7.7B) to $65 million (Kshs. 8.4B).
Regardless of its revenue, ‘Moana’ still topped the Box Office charts without much competition in the family genre.
The new film’s poor performance has been a surprise, according to analysts, compared to its 2016 counterpart. The original 2016 animated movie brought in more than $643 million (Kshs. 83.1B) worldwide and is the most-watched movie on Disney+ according to the streamer’s stats.
A 2024 sequel grossed more than $1 billion (Kshs. 129.2B) at the global box office while the studio has sold more than 22 million “Moana”-themed toys.”
It’s also believed that early criticisms of the film may have contributed to its poor performance. According to the BBC, “the movie, which was released on Friday, has been described in reviews as “flat”, “dull” and “dismal””.
The Guardian, in their review, called the film a “competent but pointless and unexciting back-to-basics live-action remake” in its two-star review, while Variety said “the film “truly delivers ‘Moana’ – the beauty, the comic personality, the fairy-tale enchantment”, and described Johnson’s “fit” for the film as “perfect”.
“Moana” stars Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as demigod Maui, with 19-year-old Australian-Samoan newcomer Catherine Laga’aia playing Moana, the teen daughter of a Polynesian chief.
The movie is available to watch in cinemas across Kenya.
