The Rock Faces Devastating Blow

The Rock's latest film, the live-action Moana, is tracking to open at a disappointing level, with estimates ranging from $35-40 million to $60-65 million.

The movie, budgeted at $250 million, is expected to spell doom for the Disney franchise.

The original animated film from 2016 and its sequel from 2024 were huge money-spinners for Disney.

This would be another setback for The Rock after the disappointing performance of last year's The Smashing Machine.

The Rock hasn't given up on non-mainstream projects, with Variety recently reporting that he's attached to star in the upcoming film, Free Byrd', directed by Greg Kwedar.

The Rock is also set to reunite with his Smashing Machine director, Benny Safdie, for Lizard Music, and co-star with Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt in a Hawaii-set mob epic directed by Martin Scorsese.

The Rock still has many mainstream projects in his kitty, but he's actively trying to balance that out with more serious-minded fare.

The live-action Moana's disappointing opening would be a significant blow to The Rock's Hollywood career, given his restricted WWE appearances due to movie commitments.

The Rock's fans always crave to see more of him on WWE TV, but his movie commitments restrict his appearances to barely 1-2 a year.

The movie's poor tracking has raised concerns about the Disney franchise's future, with some live-action remakes of classic Disney animated films failing to strike a chord with fans, like 2025's Snow White.

The Rock's performance in The Smashing Machine was tremendous, but it failed to break out with a wider audience and flopped at the box office.

The Rock's upcoming projects, including Free Byrd' and Lizard Music, will be closely watched to see if he can bounce back from this setback.