Disney's Moana and Evil Dead Burn stumble out of the gate with soft box office debuts
Rough start at the multiplex: Disney’s Moana is bowing in the same lane as last year’s Snow White, while Evil Dead Burn is carving out an opening roughly $10 million shy of its predecessor — both landing well below expectations.
Well, it’s been a pretty punishing weekend at the cinema—no two ways about it. If you’re one of the big studios, there’s a good chance you’re somewhere in Burbank quietly wondering where on earth all your audiences have gone. Let’s get into the gory details.
Moana (2026): Disney’s Latest Sinks with a Heavy Price Tag
First up, Disney’s Moana—a film with a frankly jaw-dropping budget rumoured to sit somewhere between $200 and $250 million—has stumbled right out of the gate. It’s set to open to just $42 million in the US, which, if you’re keeping score, is exactly where Snow White landed last year before it was promptly dubbed a flop. That little misadventure limped to just over $200 million worldwide, and reportedly bled the studio for more than $100 million.
The one (and only) optimistic note for Disney is Dwayne Johnson’s box office muscle, especially internationally—so if there’s any hope, it’s probably riding on overseas audiences to soften the blow. The film’s received an A– CinemaScore, which isn’t a disaster for a family flick, but let’s be honest, that’s hardly setting the world on fire.
Evil Dead Burn: Warner Bros (Unsurprisingly) Shaken
Then there’s Evil Dead Burn from Warner Bros., which is downright struggling. Pre-weekend forecasts pointed to a $23 million opening, but what we’re actually looking at is more like $15 million—massively under expectations and nearly $10 million less than 2023’s Evil Dead Rise managed to pull in. Not ideal. Makes you wonder if Warner needs to seriously revisit how they’re handling these New Line horror releases in summer. And it’s not just horror—May’s Mortal Kombat 2 wasn’t exactly robust at the box office either.
The Middling Middle: Minions, Toy Story, and a Faltering Invite
- Minions & Monsters: Took $21 million, but is falling about 43% compared to last week. Not catastrophic, not exciting.
- Toy Story 5: Pulled in $19 million—comfortably in also-ran territory.
- The Invite, from A24 and director Olivia Wilde, expanded nationwide but could only muster $4.3 million despite a solid critical reception.
Young Washington and Supergirl: Dropping Like a Stone
Meanwhile, Young Washington from Angel Studios has already peaked and is dropping fast—down 64% in its second weekend, with about $7 million expected. If anyone was hoping for a Sound of Freedom-style snowball effect, it’s not happening; Sound of Freedom actually went up by almost 40% in its second weekend.
Supergirl is still trying (and failing) to find its feet in the James Gunn era of DC, sitting at just $3.8 million for the weekend, which brings its domestic haul to about $66 million. Not what you’d call a result.
'We'll be back tomorrow with a full box office roundup, but let us know what you’re seeing this weekend in the comments!'