Live-action remake of ‘Moana’ gets ravaged by critics in latest blow to Disney Studios

Who wanted this? Considering that Hollywood and the entertainment industry are quickly running out of ideas and creativity, this has become the most repeated response to most new movie releases and trailers.

The latest example? A tepid reaction to The Walt Disney Company’s latest attempt at a “live-action” remake of one of its animated films, “Moana.”

The original “Moana” was widely acclaimed by critics and audiences, and even as the film approaches its 10th anniversary, there were popular songs that are still frequently played today. The animation style was also praised for its colorful and lush representation of a Pacific island. While it didn’t reinvent the wheel, there was a certain level of creativity and originality in its presentation of a familiar coming-of-age story.

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Unsurprisingly, it was a huge financial success. It grossed $248.7 million at the domestic box office and a whopping $394 million at the international box office. The inflation-adjusted total of $643 million is now about $900 million.

And Disney, never left alone enough, did not. Fast forward to 2026, trailers for the live-action remake of “Moana” are hitting popular theaters and online, to an underwhelming mixed reception. Instead of the vibrant, colorful world of an animated movie, every background looked pale, desaturated, and uninteresting. Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role as Maui, wore a hilariously amateurish wig.

Even with just two minute increments, it was clear that most people involved in the production had little interest in it. Small sample sizes can be deceiving, though, and may raise hopes for a better film than the trailer suggests. But now, as the July 10 release date approaches, the first critical reviews have been published. And… it confirmed almost everyone’s worst fears.

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Date of debut Rotten Tomatoes It has a positive rating of only 38%, with many top critics posting similarly negative reviews. Robbie Collins for The Telegraph he summed it up by comparing it to AI-generated content: “Disney’s awful live-action Moana may have been made with a ChatGPT prompt.”

Associated Press Jake Coyle’s review rails against Johnson’s “Fabio hair”, with the opening paragraph describing it as “aimless”.

This image released by Disney shows Dwayne Johnson as Maui in a scene from the movie “Moana.” (Disney via AP)

“Say whatever you want about them,” he writes. “But Disney’s live-action remakes have at least given us a choice. Which would you rather see? A vibrant, floating, animated ‘Moana’ or a pointless remake featuring a Fabio-haired Dwayne Johnson?”

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Others called it “pointless”, “lifeless”, or likened it to the “uncanny valley” effect that occurs when video games become hyper-realistic. If you’re Disney, this isn’t what you want to hear.

Dwayne Johnson arrives at the premiere of “Moana” at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) in Los Angeles. (Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) (AP Photo/Richard Shotwell)

But therein lies the problem. The major studios, especially modern Disney, have mostly abandoned any pretense of creativity or originality. They are happy to repeat the same tired formula as long as it makes a profit. It worked for the first few remakes. But audiences quickly realized that the quality level of films like the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Lion King” was far below the animated classics. The choice becomes spending money to go to the theater to see a worse version of a movie you’ve seen many times before.

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Disney could still sell enough tickets to make a profit on “Moana.” But judging by the reactions we’ve seen, it’s safe to say that the live-action remake is on its way out sooner rather than later.