Dwayne Johnson On 'Moana' Reviews: 'Just The Way It Goes'
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- Dwayne Johnson brushed off the live-action Moana's 32% Rotten Tomatoes score, telling People that negative reviews are 'just the way it goes' in the entertainment business.
- Johnson countered the critical reception by emphasizing that 'the culture really stood up' in the Polynesian-inspired film, recalling that the first two reviews were 'amazing' before turning negative.
- The live-action Moana, directed by Thomas Kail, has grossed $266M globally since its July 10 premiere, with Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro acknowledging in a shareholder letter that the film and The Mandalorian and Grogu 'don't meet our box office expectations.'
- D'Amaro framed the theatrical underperformance as a streaming investment, saying 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.'
- Johnson reprised his role as the demigod Maui, a character he first voiced in Disney's 2016 animated Moana a decade earlier.
Why it matters: Disney is explicitly recasting a $266M theatrical underperformer as a Disney+ content asset, with D'Amaro telling shareholders the investment 'fuels other parts of our company' — a framing that lets Disney absorb a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score without conceding the remake was a critical miss.
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