Oh, what could it possibly be this time for the latest Disney live-action remake?

Is it some controversial discourse shared online by the lead actor/actress, or a bunch of online pundits taking declaratory action to not go see this film due to some political commentary?

Nope, it’s “we’ve done this to death in recent years, and we’re sick and tired of it!” Case in point, the (animated) Moana 2 just dropped two years ago and raised over a billion dollars worldwide despite not being anywhere near as beloved as the original. And folks were no more enticed to see Dwayne Johnson put on a wig to re-enact his Maui character than they were seeing another He-Man tale or a Supergirl that bemoaned audiences everywhere thanks to a lame-duck narrative. What worked in the 2010s doesn’t work here in the 2020s, folks, as no one asked for a Moana remake aside from the shareholders that willed it into existence. Technically speaking, Dwayne Johnson has been snuffing out a prize (other than IP he has been accustomed to) since the colossal mishaps of Black Adam, Red One, and (cover your eyes, critics) The Smashing Machine. Respectfully, unless it’s tethered to Jumanji, Fast and Furious, or the animated musical Pixar tales across the seas, Johnson seems to be stuck in first gear. Does that mean he’s going back to WWE?

Even if Moana could make gazillions overseas (which is a hefty no), this $200-$250 million live-action remake just opened above the detested Snow White ($42 million in 2025) with $43 million, despite leading the box office. Lousy reviews (insert copy-and-paste formula) won’t beget a better run in terms of legs, even if an A- from CinemaScore is more about it being another “family friendly” revisit, assuming families will show up. We’re probably going to end up with a domestic total of $85-100 million, which certifies it as another bomb for live action remakes and reminds us and Disney (hopefully!) to stop pulling these shenanigans. Furthermore, with no other “butts in seats” draws, added value, or big-screen spectacle, Moana entirely flunked the “What else do ya got for me?” test. Funny how Disney can seem to learn from Pixar on how to distance its sequels (a la Toy Story and The Incredibles), but not for another live-action remake (that was not asked for) a la Snow White, Dumbo, and now, Moana. (Knocking on wood, we better not see a live-action tale based on toys coming to life or a family showcasing their superpowers in an era of superhero fatigue.)

In other news unrelated, everything else is doing “OK” to great. Minions & Monsters is around 50% lower in its second weekend than its predecessors’ total domestic totals between $210-230 million, while it sits at a lousy $108.2 million domestic total thus far. For reference, Despicable Me earned $118.5 million after 10 days, following a $56 million domestic debut in July 2010, and went on to earn $255 million, while Despicable Me 3 earned $146 million from a $99 million Fri-Tues debut in July 2017, legging to $264 million. Post-debut legs are doing good, more akin to Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 4. It will probably finish its domestic run around $175-190 million. However, its worldwide total is far too far from that of its predecessors.

Toy Story 5 is proving to be the exception to IP rights, already surpassing $400 million domestically in its fourth weekend. It’s already at $880 million worldwide and will still surpass $1 billion. Perhaps Moana was destined to bomb while Pixar could continue to showcase its prowess with the beloved toys, learning to tackle its greatest challenge: technology. The Pixar outing seems to be a reverent fixture of pop culture, even if the installments post-Toy Story 3 haven’t warranted such.

Evil Dead Burn debuted with an “OK” $13.7 million, which is well below the $24.5 million debut of Evil Dead Rise (back in April 2023). Much like Jackass: Best and Last and even Minions & Monsters, it was more of an “oh, another one of these?” test. Young Washington is more than an Independence Day weekend wonder, earning $6.44 million in its second weekend and passing $33 million domestically. The Invite expanded into theaters with $5.7 million in its third weekend (not too shabby).

Obsession (this writer spent the morning rewatching it with family) has destroyed an old record, becoming the highest-earning film with a $1 million (or sub) budget. Of note, it nabbed at least $1 million per day for the first 55 days (a record for this decade, shared only with Inside Out 2) and has outgrossed Batman. The question now is how close it will get to $450 million globally before wrapping up one of the best generational runs for an original, non-IP tale that strikes folks on a “Gen Z how to engage in relationships” cultural fascination.

Supergirl has earned $66 million domestically, which is blatantly miserable for the second installment of the rebooted DC Universe. I mean, if there’s any silver lining to this, it will be passing the domestic totals of Madame Web, Fant4stic, Joker: Folie à Deux, Dark Phoenix and Morbius when all is said and done. Common courtesy asks: why didn’t they just give Peacemaker a f***ing film outing, especially after the success of the first two seasons on (HBO) Max? Well, it may trigger the Disney+ discussion, so ignore that possibility.

Disclosure Day will wrap up its run under $250 million worldwide, while Backrooms will pass $200 million domestically later this week ($400 million globally is a long shot, but it can rest comfortably behind Obsession).

Oh, and Michael is the first ever biopic to pass $1 billion worldwide. Congrats to Mr. Jackson’s legacy.

Next weekend sees the release of The Odyssey, They Fight (on Hulu), Horsegirls, and The Bay.