Deadline's Gregory Nussen has published a scathing review of Disney's live-action remake of Moana, directed by Thomas Kail and released in 2026, only a decade after the original animated film. The review argues that the remake is artistically hollow and driven purely by commercial motives, questioning why the studio would recreate such recent source material almost shot-for-shot. It matters because it reflects wider criticism of Disney's ongoing strategy of remaking its animated catalogue, and lands as the film heads for a projected $130m-plus global opening.

The reviewer praises newcomer Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, calling her the film's only genuine spark of life across its 115 minutes, but criticises Dwayne Johnson's "catatonic" turn as the demigod Maui, along with cheap-looking backdrops, weak visual effects likened to AI imagery, and staid direction. Returning writer Jared Bush is noted for barely altering his original screenplay, leaving the plot — Moana's voyage beyond the reef to restore the heart of goddess Te Fiti and save her dying island — essentially unchanged. The review concludes that the story's earnest themes of self-discovery and ecological warning are undermined by the remake's artificiality and profit-driven existence.