Disney’s live-action remakes continue to take hits at the box office with very few outliers, and 2026’s live-action Moana certainly isn’t among them. Although the 2016 original animated version of the movie was a smash hit and continues to be a beloved flick from the House of Mouse, the franchise hasn’t maintained that success with follow-on projects. That includes both Moana 2, which seemed to suffer due to its switch from a planned TV show to a release on the big screen as well as the absence of Lin-Manuel Miranda, and live-action Moana, which was a box office flop and frustrated many viewers because it didn’t differentiate itself significantly from the original (leading to a common refrain that it wasn’t needed).
Ironically enough, this is becoming a tale as old as time for Disney, repeating issues that prior live-action remakes like Lilo & Stitch, Snow White, and several others had. Whether the media giant is learning its lesson remains uncertain. Currently, there is one positive sign when it comes to this ongoing issue, which is Colman Domingo’s live-action Princess Tiana movie, based on The Princess and the Frog. Notably, this is not a remake; it is a completely new story with the same characters. Nevertheless, when it comes to Moana, Disney repeated many of the problems its previous remakes had, with seemingly little concern about the possible fallout within the fanbase. Now, Maui actor (in both the animated and live-action Moana movies) has addressed that very backlash—and he, too, seems largely unconcerned.
Speaking with People, Johnson made it clear that he was well aware of the discourse and mixed reviews in response to live-action Moana. When the first few reviews came out and were positive, the star said, “I’ll never forget it… They were amazing. I was like, wow.” However, when they began to take a turn, he said, “It went another way…as sometimes happens.” “That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business,” Johnson added. Ultimately, that was precisely the approach Johnson took to the mixed (and at times rather negative) response to the movie.
“If you love it, great. If you don’t, no problem,” Johnson told People. What “really mattered,” he said, was that “the culture really stood up,” adding that this representation of Polynesian culture in the live-action version was “why the movie was made.” Johnson particularly highlighted what seeing Moana in live-action meant for himself and for his children because of their Samoan heritage. For Johnson, this reception is also far from the end of the road when it comes to this franchise that he clearly remains very supportive of and excited about. After all, the star recently confirmed that Moana 3 is already in the works.
How Moana 3 will perform, of course, remains to be seen. The franchise certainly hasn’t had the best track record of late, but that doesn’t mean it can’t turn around—just look at the reception of Cars 3 compared to Cars 2, for example. Arguably, though, Moana 3’s success may depend on Disney listening to and implementing the things fans of the franchise say they are looking for.
