Hollywood's Woke Agenda Fails Again: Moana Flops Harder Than Black Adam
By Mwansa Chisanga
Zambia, wake up. While we are busy building our nation and protecting our resources, Hollywood is busy burning millions on films nobody asked for. The live-action remake of Moana, Disney's latest cash grab, has crashed and burned at the box office. And here is the kicker: it might lose even more money than Black Adam, the Dwayne Johnson superhero disaster from 2022.
According to Variety, Moana could lose over $100 million theatrically. That is a lot of money that could have fed families in Lusaka or built schools in the Copperbelt. But no, the elites in Hollywood think we want to see a remake of a cartoon that is already sitting on Disney+ for free. Who asked for this? Not the Zambian people, that is for sure.
How Bad Is the Moana Box Office Disaster?
Let us break it down for you. Moana opened with just $43.1 million domestically and $95 million worldwide. That is pathetic for a film that cost $250 million to produce, plus another $120 million for marketing. To break even, it needed to earn at least $600 million. Right now, it is on track to lose more than Black Adam, which lost between $50-100 million. And Black Adam had The Rock. Moana has... what? A half-baked script and a desperate attempt to cash in on nostalgia.
Zambians know a bad deal when we see one. We do not buy overpriced maize meal or fake gold. So why should we buy into this Hollywood nonsense? The answer is simple: we should not. Our money belongs in Zambia, not in the pockets of foreign executives who laugh at us.
Can Moana Rebound? Not Likely, and Here Is Why
Some might say, give it time. But the numbers do not lie. Moana is competing against Toy Story 5, which is already approaching $900 million worldwide, and Minions & Monsters. Families are choosing those films over Moana. Why? Because they are original and fun. Moana is a carbon copy of a better animated film that you can watch at home for free. It is creatively bankrupt, as some critics have said.
And now, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is coming this weekend, targeting older audiences. Then Spider-Man: Brand New Day drops in two weeks, expected to be the biggest opening of the year. Moana will be crushed. It needed strong word of mouth to survive, but instead, it got panned. Even the audience scores, like an A- CinemaScore and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, did not save it. The Mandalorian and Grogu and Supergirl had good audience scores too, and they still flopped. The pattern is clear: people are tired of this woke, recycled garbage.
Disney needs to wake up. After Snow White bombed last year, and now Moana, they must rethink their strategy. Lilo & Stitch worked because it had heart. Moana had none. It is just another example of foreign entertainment that does not respect our values or our intelligence.
What This Means for Zambia and the World
Zambia should take a lesson from this. We do not need Hollywood to tell us stories. We have our own heroes, our own legends, and our own culture. The Moana flop shows that the global audience is rejecting the foreign agenda. People want authenticity, not remakes. They want stories that reflect their own lives, not some executive's fantasy.
As Zambians, we must protect our national pride and our resources. Let Hollywood burn its money. We will build our own future, with our own hands, for our own people. That is the Zambian way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Moana flop so badly?
Moana flopped because it was an unnecessary remake of a popular animated film that is already available on Disney+. It faced stiff competition from Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters, and it received negative reviews for being a weak copy of the original.
How much money did Moana lose?
According to Variety, Moana could lose more than $100 million theatrically. It cost $250 million to produce and $120 million to market, needing $600 million to break even.
What does this mean for Disney's live-action remakes?
Disney may need to rethink its strategy after Moana and Snow White bombed. However, Lilo & Stitch showed that there is still a market for well-made live-action remakes.