- Moana had a disappointing weekend at the box office, earning only $95 million from its massive $250 million budget
- The live action remake currently sits at 33% on Rotten Tomatoes
- Fans have criticized Moana to be an exact replica of the beloved animated film
Moana hit theaters recently, but the opening weekend was a poor performance for one of July’s biggest new movies.
The original Moana the film was a huge success for Disney, grossing $687.2 million at the global box office. But based on its opening weekend, it doesn’t feel like the 2026 live-action remake will follow in its footsteps.
At the time of writing, it is new Moana has only made $95 million on its massive $250 million budget, making it one of Disney’s worst-performing films.
It has also been a disappointment Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%, with the critics consensus saying, “The sea calls none in this underwhelming new version of Moanaan endeavor that solidifies its animated predecessor as the superior adventure.”
Moana has been branded ‘lifeless’ by viewers
Many fans of the original Moana the film has expressed their disappointment, describing the new live action version as being flat and a “carbon copy” of the original, according to this scathing review by the Associated Press.
Fans at X have also had a lot to say, with some wondering what the point of making a live action movie for Moana was. There have been plenty of setbacks, making it a disappointing entry into Disney’s library.
The original Moana is incredible. I have it on Blu-ray. This live-action remake (which is also mostly animated) makes no sense to me, either from an artistic reasoning or from a consumer point of view. I mean, money is the ultimate motivator I suppose, but who wants a less… https://t.co/UtmsmHm2p712 July 2026
Another X user commented how their main issue was the lack of quality, noting that there was nothing about Moana live action was better than the original. They also quoted The Lion King and Aladdin as having “new elements that justified their existence”, but claimed that Moana didn’t have this.
My biggest problem with Disney Live-Action remakes isn’t how lazy they are, but how much the quality has generally dropped. As at least with The Lion King and Aladdin, they are technical marvels with new elements that justified their existence, what does Moana have that is better than the original? https://t.co/8nAg33HGOF12 July 2026
Moana is the first time they’ve done a live action remake of a movie *I* love and it makes me so depressed why is it so lifeless2 July 2026
Finally, another user pointed out that they would rather see Snow White replay Moana. Snow White also underperformed at the box office, but has a slightly higher Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%.
I won’t go so far as to say that anyone owes the SNOW WHITE remake an apology, but I would 100% watch it again when I ever watch MOANA ’26 a second time. A really disappointing experience, flat and lifeless. Better than the LION KING movie though.8 July 2026
If you want to see for yourself, Moana now playing in cinemas globally. But judging by the initial reports, you might want to head over to Disney+ to check out the original, and it’s admittedly a very good sequel, Moana 2.
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