Disney has found who to blame for the live-action Moana flop: its own Moana 2

Disney's latest attempt to do what they always do — squeeze more magic (or at least profit) out of an animated favourite — hasn't exactly gone to plan, and now the top brass are pointing fingers at, well, themselves. Specifically, the timing of their own releases. If you were one of the many who thought the live-action Moana from 2026 would be an automatic bank-buster, you might be just as puzzled by its numbers as the folks at Disney HQ.

One Moana Too Many?

Here's where it gets interesting. Dana Walden, Disney's president and chief creative officer, actually addressed the underwhelming performance head-on during a chat at Bloomberg’s Screentime event. Her theory? It's not the film’s fault — apparently, it was just released at a very tricky time, almost on top of its animated sequel. Her words:

‘I would say our live-action ‘Moana,’ which is excellent, I think it was hurt by the proximity to our second animated version of ‘Moana,’ which came together under unusual circumstances, but premiered about 18 months before this one. So perhaps there was not enough time to create a lot of pent-up demand for another film.’

To be clear, most Disney live-action remakes don’t land anywhere near the originals, date-wise. Moana is the odd one out: the 2026 version showed up only about eighteen months after Moana 2 (animated), which itself arrived a full decade after the original 2016 animated film. Confusing? Yeah, a bit. Instead of hitting audiences with nostalgia and fresh curiosity, they barely waited for the credits of the animated sequel to stop rolling before sending Dwayne Johnson back out in a grass skirt.

Moana 2 sailed past $1 billion at the global box office — but the live-action Moana managed just $323 million off a $250 million budget.

And there lies the rub. Both animated outings were cash fountains, with Moana 2 making over $1 billion worldwide. By comparison, the live-action version grossed only $323 million — not much more than it cost to film (a reported $250 million). That’s more leaky canoe than blockbuster cruise.

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Cast, Characters, and What's Next

The live-action Moana featured Catherine Laga'aia stepping into the title role, while Dwayne Johnson returned as the loveable demigod Maui (the one bit of casting absolutely everyone saw coming). It wasn’t enough to push the box office into Disney’s usual stratosphere, though, with audiences apparently feeling they've had their fill of Polynesian mythology — at least for now.

Looking ahead, Disney’s not quitting on the live-action machine. Now it’s Tangled’s turn. Starring Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim, that one’s set to land in cinemas on 31 March, 2028.

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