LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 07: (L-R) Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson attend the Moana World Premiere at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on July 07, 2026. (Photo by Rodin Eckenoth/Getty Images for Disney)
Getty Images for Disney
Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana has underperformed at the box office for several key reasons, including a script that closely mirrors the 2016 original and a release timing that followed Moana 2 by just over a year.
The film’s commercial failure raises broader questions about the appeal of live-action remakes, which are inherently unnecessary. Universal and Disney both achieved success with live-action remakes in 2025—How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch, respectively—highlighting the contrast in performance. Disney’s Moana is projected to lose between $100 million and $125 million. The key distinction between profitable and flop live-action remakes lies in whether the film offers audiences a compelling reason to see it in theaters rather than streaming the original at home.
Dissecting The ‘Moana’ Debacle
Critics were largely negative toward Moana, which holds a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audience reception was more favorable. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, with women grading it a straight A and viewers under 18 giving it an A+. On Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, the movie achieved a 90% approval rating from verified ticket buyers, slightly surpassing the original animated film’s audience score. These metrics indicate the film resonated with its core audience.
The audience profile was heavily skewed: 66% female and 56% parents attending with children. Women over 25 rated it 78% definite-recommend on PostTrak, the highest among demographics, while overall women gave it 70%. Children under 12 made up the largest age group at 28%. These figures reflect a film that connected with families already invested in the character, primarily mothers bringing young children, with limited appeal beyond that core group.
Yet this audience wasn’t large enough to justify the film’s costs. Moana could signal the end of live-action remakes or serve as a major setback for the genre. However, live-action remakes have a long history, including Disney’s 1994 version of The Jungle Book and Tim Burton’s 2010 Alice in Wonderland. This isn’t the first remake failure.
Live-Action Films At A Crossroads
Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, both released in 2025, demonstrate the format’s potential. How to Train Your Dragon grossed over $636 million globally on a $165 million budget, while Lilo & Stitch surpassed $1 billion worldwide. Both stand in stark contrast to recent disappointments like Snow White (2025), The Little Mermaid (2023), Dumbo (2019), and now Moana. The successful versus unsuccessful films reveal key factors:
Timing Is Everything
Remakes require sufficient distance from their original source material to feel like events rather than repeats. Cinderella (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), and The Lion King (2019) all arrived 25 or more years after their animated counterparts. The 2016 Moana remained the most-streamed movie annually from 2020 to 2024, and Moana 2 offered a continuation of the story less than two years before the live-action version’s release. A decade on the calendar doesn’t create distance if the original remains culturally relevant.
Release timing also depends on summer positioning. Moana faced competition from Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters, with Toy Story 5 being particularly strong. While Aladdin and The Lion King overlapped with Toy Story 4, they managed to coexist due to adequate spacing between releases.
The Audience Needs to Get Something Extra
Audiences need a reason to value the theatrical experience over streaming. How to Train Your Dragon added roughly 30 minutes of new content. Beauty and the Beast featured three new songs and grossed $1.26 billion. Aladdin introduced Jasmine’s new song, “Speechless,” and earned $1.05 billion. In contrast, Moana added only one song over the closing credits, attached to a script that followed the 2016 film shot-for-shot.
The Live-Action Remake Actually Has to Deliver Live Action
Moana relied heavily on visual effects—nearly 2,000 shots to recreate ocean movements and demigod transformations—leading some critics to say it looked more animated than live-action. A remake that resembles its animated predecessor offers no incentive for viewers to choose a theater visit over streaming at home.
This concern wasn’t as pressing a decade ago. Between 2015 and 2019, seeing beloved characters rendered photorealistically was novel enough to draw crowds. That window has closed. The format no longer receives a pass.
‘Moana’ Has a Future Beyond the Box Office
A weak theatrical run hasn’t doomed every recent Disney remake. Snow White lost an estimated $170 million in theaters but topped Disney+’s viewership chart upon its June 2025 streaming debut. Samba TV reported a 405% surge in viewership during its first five streaming days compared to its premium VOD release, and it remained on FlixPatrol’s global top 10 list for 67 days. Streaming platforms may offer audiences more willingness to give live-action remakes a chance, especially as the Disney+ algorithm recommends them to fans of the original and sequels. The film is now just one click away, not requiring a theater trip.
Disney’s parks and consumer products divisions provide Moana alternative revenue streams beyond box office performance. “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana,” a walk-through attraction at EPCOT since October 2023, and character meet-and-greets at the Aulani resort in Hawaii continue to generate engagement regardless of the film’s theatrical earnings. Though the movie is losing money theatrically, the character remains viable through these additional touchpoints.
