Disney remakes Moana: Why fans are already criticizing the live-action teaser; 'clear money grab'

While live-action remakes remain a major revenue engine for Disney, the recently teased Moana remake trailer has sparked fierce backlash from loyal fans.

Published on: Nov 18, 2025, 07:53:22 IST

By Shirin Gupta

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Disney's live-action remake machine is taking gear once again. Its recent live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch has been widely hailed as an emotional and financial win, prompting the studio to double down on reimagining beloved animated classic Moana.

The remake trailer of Moana, originally released in 2016, has drawn mixed reactions from the fans.

The studio is leaning heavily on nostalgia economy, banking on proven franchises to deliver box-office returns.

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Fans are questioning the Moana live-action teaser

A first look has stirred up backlash for its overly CGI-heavy visuals. Kotaku described certain scenes like Maui's cliff jump as feeling “artificial … like someone fed the original Moana into AI and said, ‘make it live-action.”

On Reddit, long-time Moana fans lament that the animated film Moana 2 “came out recently, too soon for a live-action redo.”

Many fans are speculating that this move is a money grab. A Reddit user said, "I’m glad they paused Rapunzel. Moana isn’t even old enough to be considered a classic, yet they’re already remaking it?! Clear money grab. That’s the problem with Disney, they’ve become all profit and no substance anymore with these remakes."

However, fans are feeling good about the casting and are excited to see The ‘Rock’ as Maui. A Reddit user said, “Maybe it’ll be good like the upcoming Stitch looks! Casting the Rock is off to a good start.”

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Timing of the release

The animated Moana 2 was just released in 2024, and fans are pretty satisfied with the second part of the movie. The movie grossed $1.059 billion worldwide, a major success and outgrossing the first Moana. The movie was also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.

The recent success of the animated person has left critics questioning why Disney is revisiting Moana only a year after its original release.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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