Dwayne Johnson Responds to Moana Critics: “If You Don’t, No Problem”

Disney’s live-action Moana remake has become one of the biggest box office disasters, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has addressed the film’s mixed reception. Johnson says the negative reviews are “just the way it goes because we’re in this business.”

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Johnson opened up about the mixed reception to the live-action Moana movie. Johnson recalled that the movie’s first two reviews were extremely positive.

Dwayne Johnson addresses the mixed reviews for Disney's live-action Moana, saying negative reactions are “just the way it goes” while reflecting on the film's early reviews.

He said, “Our first two reviews came out. I’ll never forget it… They were amazing. I was like, wow.” He then added that, as “it sometimes happens,” the reviews “went another way.”

“That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business,” he continued. “The challenge was, okay, let’s remember, though, what’s going to be beyond this opening weekend. Let’s remember what’s happening right now and the noise that’s happening right now.”

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According to reviews of the live-action Moana, it has been described as a “shot-for-shot, line-by-line remake without a single original idea.” Critics have called it Disney’s most copy-and-paste remake, repeating many of the exact lines and shots from the original while failing to match the brilliance and excellence of the animated film.

Johnson returns as Maui in Disney’s live-action Moana, reprising the role he first voiced in the 2016 animated film and its 2024 sequel. Catherine Lagaʻaia stars as Moana in the Thomas Kail-directed remake. Since its July 10 theatrical release, the movie has grossed more than $263 million worldwide against a $250 million budget, while earning a 31% critics’ score and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Although the live-action Moana has failed to match the box office performance of films like Lilo & Stitch, Disney does not appear to be slowing down its live-action remake plans. The studio is currently developing a live-action Tangled, starring Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, and Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel, directed by Michael Gracey, with recent set leaks revealing a first look at the cast.

Source: PEOPLE