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Disney has undoubtedly cracked the code for live-action remakes, with 25 full-length features that have faithfully adapted, reimagined, or expanded its animated classics. For the past 30 years, Disney has shown how nostalgia draws new and long-time fans to theaters, resulting in breakout hits at the box office. Sure, the reception for Disney's remakes are mixed — some were critically panned while others were overwhelmingly embraced. Some were so successful they outperformed the classics, as is the case with two of Disney's blockbusters.
2016's Moana was a massive hit, grossing $643 million globally against its $175 million budget. It was one of Disney's modern prestige releases, and it added to the franchise's long line of Disney princesses. Moana was also embraced by both critics and audiences, garnering high Certified Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was so successful that it spawned a sequel, and Moana 2 was an even bigger hit, grossing $1 billion worldwide, and ranking 11th on the list of all-time highest-grossing animated films.
'Moana's Success Spawned a Sequel and a Live-Action Remake
In keeping with the tradition of remaking animated classics, Disney confirmed in 2023 that a live-action Moana adaptation was in the works. The film was originally slated for a June 2025 premiere, but that was delayed to July 2026 to provide breathing room after Moana 2's 2024 release. Thomas Kail's live-action Moana grossed $95 million on debut, and taken on its own, that's an impressive turnout for an opening weekend. Audiences also embraced the film as a faithful adaptation of the original and gave it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%. The live-action Moana has now earned $178.5 million globally in its third week, outperforming the lifetime gross of an 86-year-old Disney animated classic.
1940's Pinocchio is widely considered one of the greatest animated films ever made. Disney's second animated feature reinforced the studio's visual style and technical mastery. Released three years after the groundbreaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio was immensely successful, grossing a total of $121.9 million after the original's launch and two re-releases. However, it took Pinocchio decades to achieve that global gross, and the live-action Moana has well surpassed that in just two weeks.
'Pinocchio' Grossed 63 Times Its Production Budget
That box office showdown looks decisive at the outset, but it's important to provide context. That doesn't account for inflation and profit. The live-action Moana's box office gross was impressive, but that's also underwhelming considering the film had a $250 million budget. It has to make three times that amount to break even and start making a profit, which is a challenge now that it is well into its third week in theaters.
In contrast, Pinocchio made $164 million against its $2.6 million budget — Disney's animated classic wins the showdown in that aspect. Pinocchio was also adapted into a 2022 live-action remake, which was launched on Disney+ instead of theaters. Earlier this month, Dwayne Johnson also confirmed that Moana 3 has been greenlit at Disney and is in the early stages of development.
