Disney's latest live-action remake, Moana, held its world premiere at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, prompting a wave of early social-media reaction ahead of the film's theatrical release on 10 July. Although full critics' reviews were embargoed until 8 July, press and attendees were permitted to post brief impressions, and the early consensus appears mixed at best, with some responses openly hostile and several viewers questioning why the film was made at all.

Directed by Thomas Kail, the remake sees Dwayne Johnson reprise the demigod Maui, while newcomer Catherine Laga'aia makes her film debut as Moana, taking over from Auli'i Cravalho; Jemaine Clement also returns to voice the CGI crab Tamatoa. Writer Jared Bush, composer Mark Mancina and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda all return, and the film retains classic songs such as "You're Welcome" and "Shiny". The 2016 animated original earned $687 million and 95 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, while 2024's Moana 2 made $1.059 billion but scored 61 per cent. Early reactions ranged from praise for Laga'aia's performance to sharp criticism branding the film a "creatively bankrupt cash grab" that looks "flat" and adds nothing new.