'Moana' Sets Sail With $4.5 Million In U.S. Previews

Key Points:

• Disney’s live-action Moana earned $4.5 million in Thursday previews, surpassing Snow White and Dumbo previews but trailing behind Little Mermaid and Aladdin, with no audience score yet and a low 35% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The film, directed by Thomas Kail and costing $250 million pre-marketing, faces challenges due to a crowded family movie market and comparisons to the recent animated Moana 2, which had a much stronger preview and opening weekend.
• Industry projections for Moana's opening weekend have been lowered from a hoped-for low-$60 million to a high-$40 million range, with hopes that midweek business will bolster overall performance amid competition from Toy Story 5 and upcoming releases.
• New Line’s Evil Dead Burn previewed at $2.3 million, slightly below its predecessor Evil Dead Rise, and holds a 72% critic rating, while Minions & Monsters has grossed $87.7 million over nine days, significantly behind Despicable Me 4's comparable performance.
• Current box office leaders include Toy Story 5 with $49.8 million in its third week, Young Washington debuting at $26.6 million, and Supergirl and Obsession rounding out the top five with $13.5 million and $9.4 million respectively.