Disney’s live-action Moana has arrived in U.S. theaters, turning a beloved animated adventure into a big-screen musical voyage for a new generation.
Directed by Thomas Kail, the 2026 remake stars Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson, who returns as the larger-than-life demigod Maui. The story follows Moana’s first journey beyond Motunui’s reef to restore prosperity to her people—a premise Disney describes as an “unforgettable journey” driven by courage, community, and the call of the ocean.
Early Box Office Signal
Moana opened wide in the United States on July 10, playing in 3,875 theaters. It earned $18 million on opening day, according to The Numbers, with an additional $4.5 million listed from previews.
That is a meaningful first-day result, but its long-term performance will depend on repeat family viewing and whether audiences see more than a technically polished retelling. Disney’s theatrical strategy includes IMAX, an important sign that the studio is positioning ocean vistas, musical sequences, and Maui’s larger-than-life mythology as premium-screen attractions.
The stakes are unusually high. Moana reportedly carries a production budget of roughly $250 million before global marketing costs, while its domestic opening projections fell in the $40 million to $65 million range. Under weaker box-office scenarios, industry estimates suggest the remake could ultimately lose Disney as much as $125 million, a reminder that a globally recognizable title does not automatically translate into profitable theatrical demand.
Disney has not publicly confirmed either the film’s final budget or any projected loss, so the figure should be treated as an analyst estimate rather than a finalized studio result.
What the Critics Are Actually Saying
Reviews landed all over the map, and honestly, that's the most interesting part of this story. On Metacritic, the film sits in "Mixed or Average" territory, with just 19% of critics calling it positive, 51% mixed, and 30% negative.
The Hollywood Reporter praised its confidence, noting the remake "knows better than to tamper with the story's sturdy bones" and "stands confidently on its own," and scored it 80. Variety was more measured, writing that "'Moana' never makes live action more captivating than animation" but conceding it "earns a place alongside" the original, also landing an 80. RogerEbert.com, with a score of 75, highlighted the enduring strength of the characters, calling Maui and Moana "two of Disney's most appealing characters" retold "with sincerity, humor, and songs that remain among the all-time bangers". Screen Rant fell in the middle at 60, calling it a fine, faithful recreation without much extra ambition.
Not everyone was charmed. IndieWire, which scored the film 50, called it "numbing," arguing that it offers "nothing that the original didn't provide in 2016." But Wo Tho? went further, giving it a brutal 20 (2/10) and declaring the remake "utterly uncanny in every frame," with no artistic reason to exist. Consequence took a more philosophical middle ground, noting "Moana contains no nightmare fuel on the level of 2025's Snow White," which the outlet called "high praise for adaptations like these".
Performance-wise, there's near-universal agreement on one thing: Rena Owen as Gramma Tala stole scenes. The Boston Globe singled her out as "the best performance in 'Moana,'" even praising the chemistry between Johnson and Laga'aia once "you get past the initial shock of his unusual appearance".
Where Does That Leave Audiences?
The consensus, if there is one, seems to be that "Moana" 2026 is competent, occasionally moving, but rarely essential, a "rerun" rather than a reinvention, as Consequence put it. Whether that's enough for you depends on how much you're craving another trip to Motunui, or whether you'd rather revisit the 2016 original and call it a day.
For U.S. audiences weighing a theater trip this summer, the film delivers spectacle and nostalgia in equal measure; just don't expect it to reinvent the wave it's riding.
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