Early reviews and critical reception for Disney’s live-action Moana are not looking good. Following its early international rollout, critics have begun publishing their reviews, and the first Rotten Tomatoes scores are now available.
What is Moana’s Rotten Tomatoes score?
Disney’s live-action Moana is set to hit theaters on July 10, but early international screenings began on July 8. Current critical reactions have been largely negative, and initial audience reactions have also been mixed.
At the time of this article’s publication, Moana has a 31% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, based on 48 reviews. The Disney film was projected to earn between $80 million and $105 million domestically in its opening weekend. But with the early results not meeting expectations, the predicted earnings went down to $45 million to $60 million.
Although other Disney live-action films, such as Alice Through the Looking Glass (29% Tomatometer score) and 102 Dalmatians (30% Tomatometer score), also received low scores, critics have widely noted that Moana closely follows the story of the original animated film.
As a result, the film currently has the second-lowest Rotten Tomatoes score among Disney’s live-action remakes. The lowest-rated remake remains 2022’s Pinocchio, with a 27% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The 2026 Moana movie was directed by Thomas Kail, who previously directed the stage recording for Hamilton for Disney+. The movie follows the same plot: “Moana answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.” However, the production also introduces a new song for the adaptation.
Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as Maui, which he previously voiced, and Catherine Laga’aia makes her feature film debut as Moana. Other cast members include Rena Owen, John Tui, Jemaine Clement, and Frankie Adams.
The film is produced by Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Executive producers include Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, Kail, and Auliʻi Cravalho, the voice of Moana in the original animated film.
