Moana Live-Action 32% RT Score: A Disney Remake Record Low

Disney's live-action Moana opened to a 32% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, the worst among the studio's growing stable of live-action animation remakes. Reviews dropped on the day before release, a last-minute move that critics said signaled the studio's lack of confidence in the film. The score is a sharp reversal from the original 2016 animated Moana, which holds a 95% critic score.

The film lags behind the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake, a similar shot-for-shot retelling that earned a 78% critic score and a 97% audience score, according to the article. Critics of the new Moana said the film's close adherence to the original – sometimes scene-for-scene and line-for-line – raised the question of why it was made, other than for profit.

Disney rushed the live-action Moana into production after the success of the animated sequel, Moana 2, released in November 2024. That quick turnaround, less than two years, drew criticism from reviewers who said the market was already saturated with the same characters and story.

The film's main strengths center on newcomer Catherine Laga'aia, who plays Moana. Dwayne Johnson's return as Maui, with a wig that several reviewers called distracting, did not translate as well to live action. Complaints also focused on the visual effects, which reviewers described as flat greenscreen compared with the rich animation of the original.

Disney's live-action remake strategy has been a reliable profit engine. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King each earned more than $1 billion at the global box office. The Moana score suggests the formula may be wearing thin, especially when the original is still fresh in audience memory. The studio had already announced a live-action Moana sequel before the first one opened, a sign of aggressive franchise planning.

Box office tracking for the opening weekend is not yet public. Pre-sales will be the first real test. If audience scores diverge from critic scores for family films – as they did for How to Train Your Dragon – the film could still post a strong opening. A weak opening would add to pressure on Disney's film division, which has been dealing with underperforming releases in 2024 and 2025.

For Disney investors, the Moana score is a signal that the live-action remake well may be running dry. The company's stock has been under pressure from streaming losses and theme park weakness. A successful Moana launch would have been a near-term catalyst. The opposite, if it materializes, would reinforce concerns about the studio's reliance on intellectual property without new creative risk.

The film opens in theaters Friday. Pre-sales data through Thursday evening will give the first read on audience appetite.