Disney's latest live-action venture, a remake of the popular 2016 animated musical Moana, has struggled to find its footing at the global box office following a lukewarm opening weekend. The film, which features Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui and Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, managed to generate $95 million worldwide, a figure that falls significantly short of its hefty $250 million production budget.
In the crucial U.S. market, Moana took in $43 million from 3,827 cinemas, missing its $60 million target. Internationally, the film accrued $52 million. This performance marks a notable setback for Disney, particularly given the original animated film's enduring popularity, which has consistently ranked among the most-streamed titles on Disney+ in the U.S. for several years.
The remake, directed by Thomas Kail, has been met with considerable scepticism and criticism from both fans and film critics even before its release. Many questioned the necessity of a live-action adaptation so soon after the original, which debuted less than a decade ago, and just two years after the animated sequel. Concerns intensified following the release of the first trailer, which viewers described as a near "shot for shot" recreation of the original, leading to accusations of a lack of creative originality.
Critical reviews have largely echoed these sentiments. Clarisse Loughrey, writing for The Independent, awarded the film one star out of five, labelling it a "waste of everyone’s time and talent." Similarly, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as a "competent but pointless and unexciting back-to-basics live-action remake," suggesting it feels like "a superfluous piece of monetizable content."
This latest result follows a mixed track record for Disney's live-action remakes. While Snow White, released in March 2025, also saw a disappointing opening of $42 million, the company found success with the Lilo & Stitch remake in May 2025, which opened to $146 million. Despite the critical panning, audience reception for Moana on Rotten Tomatoes currently stands at a surprisingly high 90 percent approval, with some viewers finding the adaptation sufficiently distinct from the original.