Dana Walden defends live-action Moana after weak box office
Disney executive Dana Walden calls the live-action Moana an excellent film, but points to timing around Moana 2 and unusual circumstances.
Walden tied that explanation to Moana 2, which sources say came out about 18 months earlier. In her view, that may not have been enough time to build clear demand for another Moana film.
The reporting also says Moana 2 had an unusual path of its own: it started as a planned Disney+ series before later becoming a theatrical release.
What happened
Dana Walden spoke about the live-action Moana during Bloomberg Screentime and defended the film after its disappointing box office performance. According to the provided sources, she said it was an excellent film, but that the outcome was affected by unusual circumstances and an unfortunate release window. In the reporting, her comments are presented as Disney’s own top executive explaining why the film did not deliver the commercial result the company wanted.
Walden pointed to the earlier release of Moana 2. The sources cite a gap of about 18 months between that animated sequel and the live-action version, which she said may have been too short to rebuild “pent-up demand.” That puts the focus on release timing rather than the film’s quality. The provided context does not include exact box office figures for the live-action version, but it does describe the film as a flop or disappointment in the reporting.
Disney’s explanation is also linked to the unusual development of Moana 2. The film was reportedly first planned as a Disney+ series before being turned into a theatrical release, meaning the franchise had two major Moana titles arrive in a short span. Variety is cited in the supplied context as noting that the film arrived “less than two years after the sequel,” which made the timing of the live-action remake especially difficult. The Hollywood Reporter also says the remake’s opening weekend box office fell short and that the combination of Moana 2 and other major releases played into the analysis.
Timeline
2024-11-27: Moana 2 is released in theaters, according to the provided context.
After that: Disney markets the live-action version of Moana while the franchise is still fresh from the recent sequel.
About 18 months later: the live-action version of Moana is released, according to reporting on Walden’s remarks.
2026-10-02: Dana Walden discusses the film at Bloomberg Screentime and cites timing and unusual circumstances as reasons for the weak box office.
Around the same reporting: Variety and The Hollywood Reporter link the poor performance to the short gap between the sequel and the remake.
Background
Walden’s comments focus on release positioning rather than the film’s quality. In the supplied sources, her explanation is placed alongside broader reporting on Disney’s remake strategy and the challenge of releasing a live-action remake when an animated sequel has just been in theaters.
The external context points to several possible reasons for the weak results. The Hollywood Reporter mentions Moana 2 and also Toy Story 5 as factors in the wider release environment. Variety notes that the live-action Moana arrived “a decade after the original 2016 animated musical” and less than two years after the sequel, which made the timing especially tricky. That matches Walden’s own point that there may not have been enough time to build demand again.
The exact box office numbers for the live-action Moana are not confirmed in the provided material. It also remains unclear how much marketing, audience interest, or reviews played a role. What is clear is that Disney’s own top executive is pointing to the timing around Moana 2 as a major factor. The available sources therefore support a release-planning explanation more than a final verdict on the full cause of the film’s disappointing earnings.