Live-Action Moana Set To Debut On Disney+ On October 21st

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Posted in: Disney, Movies | Tagged: moana

Live-Action Moana Set To Debut On Disney+ On October 21st

The Moana live-action remake, which failed to find an audience earlier this summer, will stream to Disney+ starting October 21st.

Published Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:46:09 -0500
by Kaitlyn Booth
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Article Summary

  • Disney’s live-action Moana will begin streaming on Disney+ on October 21 after its theatrical release in July 2026.
  • Moana struggled at the summer box office, earning just over $320 million worldwide against a reported $250 million budget.
  • The film’s quick Disney+ arrival could give audiences a chance to revisit Moana and judge the mixed response for themselves.
  • Disney also unveiled a new Moana trailer as the studio shifts the live-action remake from theaters to streaming.

If the box office numbers are anything to go by, there's a good chance that if you're reading this, you probably didn't go see the live-action remake of Moana. This was likely one of the more baffling bombs that Disney released this year. They saw films like this and The Mandalorian and Grogu as titles with established fanbases far too big and dedicated to fail. For this film, the problem is timing, not the way Disney is thinking about the sequel. Audiences have been losing interest in live-action remakes for a while now, and Lilo & Stitch is the exception, not the norm, but the people at Disney haven't come to terms with that yet. This also feels very quick, with many people feeling like they just saw the original film in theaters.

So the Moana remake was released in July to poor reviews and very little interest from audiences, if the just over $320 million at the worldwide box office is anything to go by. Disney movies get a big boost from merch sales, but with a $250 million budget, that's a lot of merch to sell just to break even. The film hits Disney+ on October 21st, so people can decide if the critical mauling was too harsh, if this film just has poor timing and bad box office is the fallout from that, or if Disney should stop greenlighting live-action remakes. Disney released a new trailer and a new poster.

Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Moana: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

In Disney's live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar®-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean's call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy® and Tony Award® winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton); produced by Dwayne Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Thomas Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated features Moana and Moana 2. Moana was released in U.S. theaters on July 10, 2026, and will stream to Disney+ on October 21, 2026.

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