The live-action “Moana” topped the box office winners list for the weekend of July 12, 2026, pulling in $43.0 million and knocking “Minions & Monsters” out of the top spot. “Toy Story 5” held steady in third place, while the horror sequel “Evil Dead Burn” opened strong in fourth. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Supergirl” continued its slide toward becoming one of 2026’s most expensive box office disappointments.
What Movies Made the Most Money This Weekend?
The live-action remake of “Moana” made the most money of any film for the weekend, opening at $43.0 million domestically. That figure made it the clear winner among new releases and the top earner across the entire marketplace.
Disney’s family-friendly brand power did the heavy lifting here. The studio has repeatedly shown it can turn nostalgia into ticket sales, something Mohawk Valley moviegoers have seen play out before with titles like Encanto’s quiet reign at the box office a few years back. “Moana” benefited from a built-in fan base, a school-summer release window, and minimal direct competition from other family titles.
Behind “Moana,” the rest of the top five looked like this:
- “Minions & Monsters”, $20.5 million (second weekend)
- “Toy Story 5”, $18.5 million (fourth weekend)
- “Evil Dead Burn”, $13.7 million (opening weekend)
- “Young Washington”, $6.4 million (second weekend)
Decision rule for readers tracking box office winners: if a film opens above $30 million against modest marketing spend, it’s almost always a genuine hit. If it opens below $15 million after a nine-figure budget, expect it to land on the losers list within a week.
Box Office Top 10, Which Film Won, and What the Number One Movie Made
“Moana” won the box office for the week ending July 12, 2026, and it did so by a wide margin over the second-place finisher. Its $43.0 million opening beat “Minions & Monsters” by more than double, confirming the family-adventure remake as the weekend’s undisputed champion.
Here’s how the confirmed top five broke down, based on studio-reported figures:
| Rank | Film | Weekend Gross | Running Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana (live-action) | $43.0 million | $43.0 million | New release, No. 1 debut |
| 2 | Minions & Monsters | $20.5 million | $108.3 million | Second weekend |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | $18.5 million | $403.8 million | Fourth weekend |
| 4 | Evil Dead Burn | $13.7 million | $13.7 million | New release |
| 5 | Young Washington | $6.4 million | $33.1 million | Second weekend |
Rounding out the rest of the top ten, industry trackers noted a mix of specialty releases and holdovers from June, though none came close to cracking eight figures. That’s a sign the marketplace outside the top five has gotten thin this summer, a trend worth watching if you’re deciding where to spend a Friday night ticket.
For readers who remember when a single Marvel title could dominate three weekends running, this pattern echoes an earlier era covered when Shang-Chi held the top spot for a third straight weekend. The difference now: fewer films are lasting that long at number one, and turnover at the top is happening faster.
Box Office Winners vs. Losers: This Week’s Biggest Hits and Flops
The clearest winner this week was “Moana,” and the clearest loser was “Supergirl.” That contrast tells a bigger story about what’s working in Hollywood right now and what isn’t.
Winners:
- Moana (live-action): Strong opening, built-in audience, family appeal during peak summer travel season.
- Toy Story 5: Proved legacy franchises with emotional stakes still pull steady, dependable business week after week.
- Evil Dead Burn: A modestly budgeted horror sequel that hit its opening targets without needing blockbuster numbers to be profitable.
Losers:
- Supergirl: Grossed only $107 million globally against a $170 million production budget and $120 million marketing spend, a combined outlay north of $290 million. That math simply doesn’t work, and it puts the film squarely in box office bomb territory.
- Minions & Monsters: Not a disaster, but a steep second-weekend drop suggests word of mouth didn’t hold.
Common mistake studios keep making: greenlighting expensive franchise entries built around lesser-known characters before audiences have a reason to care. That’s exactly the critique aimed at “Supergirl,” where analysts argue the DC Studios reboot under James Gunn and Peter Safran stumbled by leading with a secondary hero instead of building anticipation first. It’s a lesson in sequencing, not talent: the film’s struggles say more about release strategy than about the people who made it.
For context on how quickly a big swing can misfire, it’s worth remembering how Red Rocket director Sean Baker discussed the risks of unconventional casting choices paying off creatively but not always commercially. Risk-taking matters in film, but risk without audience buy-in tends to show up fast in opening-weekend numbers.
International Box Office and Streaming Releases Shaping July 12, 2026
International numbers and streaming competition both factored into how the domestic chart shook out this week. Global grosses for underperforming titles like “Supergirl” show the problem wasn’t just a domestic audience issue, it’s a worldwide one.
A $107 million global haul against a combined $290 million in production and marketing costs means overseas markets didn’t rescue the film the way they sometimes do for franchise titles. That’s a meaningful data point for readers who assume international box office always cushions a rough domestic opening. Sometimes it doesn’t, especially when a character hasn’t been introduced to global audiences through a prior hit.
On the streaming side, major platforms didn’t release a true theatrical-scale blockbuster the same week, which likely helped “Moana” and “Toy Story 5” hold their ground. When streaming giants sit out a weekend, family titles and franchise sequels tend to benefit because there’s less competition for the same at-home audience considering whether to go out to a theater at all.
Box Office Trends Summer 2026: What’s Driving the Numbers
Summer 2026’s box office has been softer than the same period in recent years, and total weekend grosses reflect that pullback. Early July tracked a total gross of $117.7 million, a 24.7 percent drop from the prior weekend, signaling that audiences are being more selective about what earns a trip to the theater.
Several factors are shaping this trend:
- Fewer true blockbusters spread across more weekends, meaning no single film is dominating the way past summer tentpoles did.
- Franchise fatigue in some categories, particularly superhero films that lean on lesser-known characters without first building audience investment.
- Family and nostalgia titles outperforming original concepts, as seen with “Moana” and “Toy Story 5” both landing in the top three.
- Theater chain stock performance reflecting investor caution. AMC shares are trading around $1.88, Cinemark around $29.41, and IMAX near $38.58, figures that suggest Wall Street is watching attendance trends closely rather than betting on a runaway summer.
Disney, meanwhile, continues to benefit from having multiple titles in the top five at once, with shares trading around $96.98 and a market capitalization near $171.83 billion. That kind of portfolio depth is exactly why the studio keeps landing box office winners even in a softer overall market.
Box Office Predictions and Forecast for the Weekend After July 12
Expect continued softness industry-wide, with “Moana” likely holding the top spot for at least one more weekend before newer releases test its lead. Historically, live-action Disney remakes see moderate second-weekend drops in the 40 to 50 percent range, so a follow-up gross somewhere in the low-to-mid $20 million range would track with past performance for similar titles.
“Evil Dead Burn” should hold reasonably well among horror fans if reviews stay positive, since genre audiences tend to be less front-loaded than general blockbuster crowds. Watch for whether any new wide releases enter the marketplace to challenge the current top five; if nothing major opens, expect the same five films to hold their positions with modest single-digit-percentage shifts in rank.
For casting and industry watchers, it’s also worth tracking talent moves that could shape what’s coming later this year, including recent signings covered when CAA added the director behind Somalia’s first Oscar submission and awards-season eligibility news from the Academy’s animated and international feature announcements. Awards buzz often previews which fall releases studios will push hardest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which movie won the box office for the week ending July 12, 2026?
The live-action “Moana” won the weekend with a $43.0 million opening, topping “Minions & Monsters” and “Toy Story 5.”
How much did the number one movie make?
“Moana” earned $43.0 million domestically in its opening weekend, making it the clear box office winner.
What was the biggest box office flop this week?
“Supergirl” stands out as the biggest flop, grossing just $107 million globally against a combined $290 million in production and marketing costs.
Did any horror films perform well?
Yes. “Evil Dead Burn” opened in fourth place with $13.7 million, a solid result for a modestly budgeted horror sequel.
Is the overall box office up or down compared to last year?
Recent weekend totals show a softening trend, with one early July weekend down 24.7 percent from the prior week, suggesting a cooler summer than in past years.
Are streaming releases hurting theatrical box office?
Streaming competition didn’t include a major theatrical-scale blockbuster this particular week, which likely helped titles like “Moana” and “Toy Story 5” perform better than they might have otherwise.
What should audiences expect next weekend?
Expect “Moana” to hold the top spot with a moderate second-weekend drop, while any new wide releases will determine how much the rest of the top five shifts.
Conclusion
This week’s box office winners tell a familiar summer story: family-friendly nostalgia beats ambitious swings that skip the groundwork. “Moana” and “Toy Story 5” proved that audiences still show up for characters they already love, while “Supergirl” is a costly reminder that a nine-figure budget can’t substitute for genuine audience investment.
If you’re planning a trip to the theater this month, the data suggests family titles and steady horror sequels are the safer bets for a satisfying big-screen experience. And if you’re tracking the industry more broadly, keep an eye on theater chain stock movement and studio release calendars heading into August, since this softer summer pattern could shape ticket prices and release strategies well into next year. Check back next week for updated rankings and a closer look at whether “Moana” holds its lead.
