Walt Disney Co.'s much-anticipated live-action "Moana" has topped the domestic box office, but its opening weekend has been unexpectedly weak.

The film, which was made on a budget of about $250 million, has only managed to sell $43 million in tickets in the United States and Canada in its first weekend.

The film has grossed $52 million from 50 international markets, opening to $95 million worldwide.

The film, directed by Thomas Kell, stars Dwayne Johnson (as Maui) and Catherine Laga'aia (as Moana). Although Catherine's performance was praised, it received poor reviews from critics, saying it was a shot-for-shot remake of the original animated film. It has a rating of only 34 percent on the film review site "Rotten Tomatoes."

Compared to critics, the audience response has been somewhat more positive. Of the 66 percent of female viewers who have seen the film, 63 percent said they would recommend it to their friends. 78 percent of parents said they would recommend it to other parents.

Competition and market conditions

Disney's previous live-action remakes such as 'Lilo and Stitch,' 'The Lion King,' and 'Beauty and the Beast' have grossed more than $41 billion. However, like 'Snow White,' which grossed $425 million worldwide last year, 'Moana' has had a weak start.

According to market analyst Paul Dergarabedian, the main reason for its weak business is the flood of films with 'PG' certificates at the box office. Moana is also competing with other family films in the market.

In second place, 'Minions and Monsters' earned $425 million this week. Third-place Toy Story 5 has maintained its strong hold in its fourth weekend, earning $418.5 million. Its global total has reached $879.1 million.

R-rated horror film Evil Dead is in fourth place with an opening of $13.7 million, a weaker opening than previous films in the series.

Angel Studios' George Washington biopic Young Washington earned $6.4 million in its second weekend, securing fifth place. Olivia Wilde's chamber drama The Invite earned $5.7 million in its first weekend, while pop star Michael Jackson's biopic Michael, despite falling out of the domestic top 10, has crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide. It is the second film to earn $1 billion this year and the highest-grossing musical biopic in history.