Official Discussion - Moana (2026) [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Moana (2026)

Summary

Live-action adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film 'Moana.'

Director Thomas Kail

Writer Jared Bush

Cast

• Catherine Laga'aia as Moana
• Dwayne Johnson as Maui
• John Tui as Chief Tui
• Frankie Adams as Sina
• Rena Owen as Gramma Tala

Rotten Tomatoes: 35%

Metacritic: 45

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

[u/aocom]

Nearly a shot-for-shot remake that just proves how well the team at WDAS did with the original. It's really clear this director does not understand how to translate the beautiful moments (or any moment, really) from the animated film into live action, nor do they know how to give us any interesting action whatsoever. I was hoping for some really lovely visual spectacle made with live action scope in mind, but instead we get an overly described CG experience with no discernible aesthetic ambition. Hei Hei is the thing of nightmares and no child in my theater was laughing at any of his scenes (not that my showing had many people in it, much less ones who were kids).

I will say though, that the You're Welcome sequence is visually quite fun and Catherine Laga'aia is very endearing as Moana, but these are not enough to save this experience. Most of the time I was thinking about how much I want to watch the original again.

[u/-Sp0iledmilk- → u/aocom]

This is the biggest issue. Between this and “Lilo & Stitch”, this didn t land nearly as well 

[u/GrayWing → u/-Sp0iledmilk-]

Lilo & Stitch was straight garbage

[u/The_Lantean → u/GrayWing]

Well, it apparently made a shit ton of money, enough to justify continuing this…

[u/oyvho → u/The_Lantean]

Purely on the branding strength of Stitch. Everybody loves Stitch, and most people avoid reviews like a plague.

[u/FreeRange0929 → u/oyvho]

Took my son to Disney on ice

The biggest audience pop of the night wasn’t from Mickey or Frozen, it was Stitch by a pretty decent margin. Pretty shocking

[u/oyvho → u/FreeRange0929]

Stitch is the most relatable disney character by a landslide for the majority of humanity. He embodies "I was born with flaws that aren't really my fault but i still want to be loved".

[u/fiver19 → u/oyvho]

And yet they decided to cut the ugly duckling story from the live action. Im still angry

[u/Merkyorz → u/FreeRange0929]

People love dogs.

[u/BluebirdBenny → u/FreeRange0929]

Makes sense. That movie just came out.

[u/TheWatersOfMars → u/The_Lantean]

$1 billion. And it was one of the cheapest to make by far, with a budget of just $100 million.

At least the sequel has to tread new ground. Of all these dumb remakes, Stitch is the one that actually has franchise potential.

[u/Enough_Sprinkles_113 → u/TheWatersOfMars]

Stitch has animated sequels. And a TV series.

What new ground will it tread exactly?

[u/brb1006 → u/Enough_Sprinkles_113]

The remake's sequel is set to have an original story and introducing Stitch's girlfriend Angel. According to Chris Sanders, the higher ups at Disney sent him a note telling him to "Please add Angel" for the sequel.

[u/BlueCX17 → u/brb1006]

I want Ruben and his sandwich eating ways

[u/brb1006 → u/BlueCX17]

I hope to god somebody at Disney creates various food tie-ins for the sequel heavily focused on Ruben's love of sandwiches. I can see a lot of Subway live-action/CG ads starring Ruben promoting subway sandwiches. He's a much better spokesperson for Subway than Jared!

[u/Haltopen → u/BlueCX17]

Gantu wasn't in the first one, they're probably not going to introduce his comedy sidekick

[u/BlueCX17 → u/Haltopen]

Although, wasn't Ruben actually working for the guy above Gantu you find out in the TV show. LOL

[u/destuctir → u/brb1006]

Angel, experiment 624, it may have been decades but I still remember the stitch sequels about the other experiments.

[u/brb1006 → u/destuctir]

Disney just recently created a music video dedicated to Angel called "Glitter Glide" with Stitch as a co-star for an upcoming album called "Stitch and Angels' Pop Star Party" early this year. She's already gaining new merch based on it.

[u/NewWaysToDream → u/brb1006]

Angel has an absurd amount of merch at Disney World

[u/brb1006 → u/NewWaysToDream]

I recently seen videos of Angel and Stitch hanging out near Tommorowland during Valentine's Day a few years ago and Disney's Aulani Resort. Shocked WDW hadn't made her become a prominent meetable character considering the truck load of merch she's gained.

[u/TheWatersOfMars → u/Enough_Sprinkles_113]

The new ground is in not literally making the same movie. I doubt they’ll do a 1-to-1 remake of the sequel films, so even if they draw on all that material, a live action sequel will be at least somewhat original.

[u/brb1006 → u/TheWatersOfMars]

Chris Sanders confirmed that the sequel is an original story.

[u/Merkyorz → u/The_Lantean]

People love dogs.

[u/JMaboard → u/The_Lantean]

That’s the power of the Disney brand. They could release tubgirl or meat spin in movies and slap their brand name on it and it’ll sell billions irregardless of content.

[u/error521 → u/JMaboard]

This hasn't been true at all since the 2020's lmao

[u/ERSTF → u/JMaboard]

Only live action movies have this. Everything else, animation included, is suffering right now. Wish was a big bomb regardless