Live-Action Moana Remake Claims Top Disney+ Spot
The big-budget film reaches the top of the global streaming leaderboard following its initial theatrical run.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Science Fiction
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The live-action remake of Moana has secured the number-one position on the global Disney+ streaming leaderboard. The performance follows a theatrical release that saw the film underperform relative to its production costs.
Why it matters
The shift to streaming highlights the divergence between theatrical box office results and audience engagement on digital platforms. Success on Disney+ offers a new metric for evaluating the long-term viability of high-budget live-action adaptations.
The production budget for the live-action remake reached a reported $250 million against a global box office gross of $325 million. Critics currently hold the film at a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The players
Thomas Kail
He is the director who oversaw the production of the live-action Moana remake.
Dwayne Johnson
He is a prominent actor who is set to star in the upcoming film Jumanji: Open World.
Disney+
This is the global streaming platform that hosts the live-action Moana remake.
FlixPatrol
This service tracks and publishes data regarding streaming viewership across various global platforms.
The details
Directed by Thomas Kail, the live-action adaptation made its transition to Disney+ after its initial theatrical debut. The film, which has a 120-minute runtime, is now finding a wider audience on the platform after struggling to gain significant momentum in theaters.
Timeline
The live-action Moana was released in theaters on July 10, 2026.
The film reached the top of the Disney+ leaderboard in October 2026.
Jumanji: Open World is scheduled for release in December 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The film follows a pattern established by high-profile releases like the 2024 theatrical release of The Little Mermaid. This highlights the ongoing studio strategy of leveraging theatrical brand recognition to anchor streaming service libraries.
Subscribers can now access the full 120-minute film directly through their existing Disney+ accounts. No additional purchase or rental fees are required to view the content on the platform.
The takeaway
The successful transition to streaming suggests that theatrical metrics may not always capture the full reach of a high-budget franchise film. Viewers should consider how digital platforms now serve as a second window for evaluating the popularity of major studio projects.
What happens next
Dwayne Johnson is scheduled to return to theaters for the release of Jumanji: Open World in December 2026.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Collider.
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