Disney's live-action "Moana" remake heads to theaters amid poor early reviews and soft opening projections.Industry experts project that the film could debut at around $60 million in North American theaters this weekend, though some analysts expect an opening closer to $40 million, against a reported $250 million production budget, according to Variety.It comes on the heels of last year's "Snow White" remake, which also received widespread criticism and had similar box office projections.The film officially hits theaters on July 10, but early critic reviews have already landed the remake in rough seas.
"Moana" debuted with a 32% Rotten Tomatoes critics score, according to Forbes.NEW STREAMING DATA PAINTS SHOCKINGLY GRIM PICTURE FOR DISNEY'S AWFUL ‘STAR WARS’ SEQUELSDwayne Johnson attended the Los Angeles premiere of Disney’s live-action "Moana" at the Hollywood Bowl on July 7, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.(Monica Schipper/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)While the score has since increased to 39%, it remains one of the studio’s lowest-rated adaptations, sitting just above 2022’s "Pinocchio" and currently tied with the 39% scored by "Snow White."Critics have questioned why the film was made in the first place, with the original animated version of "Moana" debuting less than a decade ago and its sequel premiering just two years ago in 2024.A reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle called the film a simple "money grab," adding, "What’s a real head-scratcher is how it can feel so lifeless with real people as compared to the animated original."CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S 'THE ODYSSEY' GETS OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE REACTIONS AFTER CONTROVERSIAL CASTING CHOICESThe Daily Telegraph (UK) gave the film two out of five stars, writing that the final product felt as if it were created by artificial intelligence:"This was, by all appearances, an incredibly costly and labour-intensive production, yet there is barely a moment in it which feels as if it couldn’t...