Johnson On Moana's 32% RT Score: 'Just The Way It Goes'
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- Dwayne Johnson dismissed the live-action Moana's 32% Rotten Tomatoes score, telling People that the first two reviews "were amazing" before they "went another way, as sometimes happens."
- Johnson said the negative reviews are "just the way it goes because we're in this business," and emphasized that "what really mattered" was that "the culture really stood up" in the Polynesian-inspired tale.
- The live-action Moana remake premiered July 10 and has grossed $266M globally despite the weak critical reception.
- Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro told shareholders Moana is "expected to be a strong title on Disney+, building on the success of the original film, which is one of the most streamed movies of all time."
- D'Amaro grouped Moana with The Mandalorian and Grogu as franchise films whose underwhelming box office "don't meet our expectations," but whose "investments in these core properties fuel other parts of our company."
- Johnson, who voiced demigod Maui in Disney's 2016 animated original, reprised the role in the Thomas Kail-directed live-action adaptation a decade later.
Why it matters: Disney's CEO publicly conceding that Moana "didn't meet our box office expectations" while pitching it as a Disney+ asset signals the studio is now publicly valuing streaming performance over theatrical openings for established franchise IP. Johnson, meanwhile, is leaning on cultural-representation talking points to deflect a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score on a $266M-grossing tentpole.
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