Moana | $125,336,179

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Walt Disney Pictures released its live-action feature adaptation of Moana on July 10, 2026. Directed by Tony Award-winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton), the film brings the beloved 2016 animated classic into live-action territory.

Despite high expectations and the massive popularity of the franchise, the project has emerged as one of the summer’s most talked-about box office misfires.

Premise & Narrative Arc

Set in ancient Polynesia on the island of Motunui, the plot closely tracks the narrative of the 2016 animated film. When a growing ecological darkness threatens her island after the heart of the mother goddess Te Fiti is stolen, young Moana answers the ocean’s call.

She voyages beyond the reef to find the exiled, shape-shifting demigod Maui, convincing him to embark on a perilous voyage across the sea to restore the heart and save her people.

Cast & Crew Highlights

Director: Thomas Kail (Hamilton)
Screenplay: Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller
Producers: Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia
Music & Score: Songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina; Score by Mark Mancina
Executive Producer: Auliʻi Cravalho (original voice of Moana)

Actor	Character Role
Catherine Lagaʻaia	Moana (Feature Film Debut)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson	Maui (Reprisal from animated films)
John Tui	Chief Tui (Moana’s Father)
Frankie Adams	Sina (Moana’s Mother)
Rena Owen	Gramma Tala
Jemaine Clement	Tamatoa (Voice reprised from animated films)

Budget & Box Office Analysis

Produced on a massive budget of $250 million (plus an estimated $120 million marketing campaign), Moana faced a difficult run at the global box office:

Opening Weekend: Debuted at #1 domestically with a muted $43 million, alongside $52 million internationally for a $95 million global opening.
Worldwide Box Office: The film has grossed $266 million worldwide to date.
Financial Impact: Industry analysts at Variety project the film could lose upwards of $100 million during its theatrical run. Trade publications point to fatigue from back-to-back franchise releases (following Moana 2’s $1 billion animated run in late 2024) and heavy summer competition from titles like Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5.

Critical Reception & Ratings

The film has recorded one of the widest disparities between film critics and casual audiences for a Disney release.

Rotten Tomatoes: 31% Critics Score vs. 88% Audience Score.
Metacritic: 42 / 100.
CinemaScore: A-.
Critical Verdict: Reviewers heavily criticized the film for being a direct, shot-for-shot recreation of the 2016 animated film that lacked artistic necessity or visual innovation. However, newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia earned widespread praise for her breakout lead performance, alongside the film’s lush Hawaii location footage.

Statements & Executive Response

Addressing the film’s difficult box office performance, star and producer Dwayne Johnson publicly reflected on the reception, noting that while theatrical numbers fell short of studio expectations, he remained proud of bringing Pacific Islander culture and representation to live-action cinema on such a grand scale.

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro addressed the release during an earnings call, acknowledging the theatrical headwinds while highlighting the long-term value of the property:

“Even when our franchise films don’t meet our box office expectations, as with live-action Moana, our investments in these core properties fuel other parts of our company… We expect it to perform strongly on Disney+ for years to come, building on one of the most streamed titles in history.”