Moana Live-Action Remake Sets Disney+ Release Date After Disastrous Box Office Run

Disney has officially set a streaming release date for the live-action Moana movie.

The latest remake hits Disney+ on October 21. The move to streaming comes a relatively standard three months after the movie’s initial release in theaters, though struggles at the box office have prompted reactions from Disney as well as questions about the future of the studio's remake strategy.

Moana’s box office hardships go back to the movie’s opening weekend, when it barely managed to beat out the numbers of a previous Disney disappointment, Snow White.

Moana went on to gross just over $162 million domestically, contributing to a total global haul of $323.6 million. It’s currently the 16th highest-grossing movie of 2026, with a box office total below previous live-action remakes like Lilo & Stitch, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid.

The numbers (and memes) were enough to spur reactions from a number of the film’s stakeholders. …