Disney Defends $263 Million Moana Gross as Merchandise Softens 2 Film Box-Office Misses
Updated
Updated · IGN · Aug 5
Disney Defends $263 Million Moana Gross as Merchandise Softens 2 Film Box-Office Misses
3 articles · Updated · IGN · Aug 5
Summary
$263 million for live-action Moana and $345 million for The Mandalorian and Grogu fell short of Disney’s expectations, the company said in its latest financial results.
Disney argued the weak theatrical runs were partly offset by franchise sales beyond cinemas, saying both films moved merchandise and that Mandalorian and Grogu lifted Star Wars retail sales during the quarter.
Moana’s $250 million production budget leaves it unlikely to turn a profit once marketing is included, while Mandalorian and Grogu’s $165 million budget still produced the lowest box office of any live-action Star Wars film.
Disney is now leaning on downstream value: it expects Moana to perform strongly on Disney+, even as prospects for a live-action sequel appear slim and no next screen project has been outlined for the Mandalorian characters.