Dwayne Johnson Didn’t Stay Silent about the Negative Comments about Moana

Dwayne Johnson has broken his silence after Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana fared worse than expected. The film received low critical acclaim and didn’t have a strong start at the box office. Johnson said that the initial reviews were quite positive, but the picture changed completely in a short time. According to him, this is part of the film industry, and not every production is received the same way.

What Did Dwayne Johnson Say About Moana Reviews?

Johnson explained that the first two reviews were very good and he was quite excited at the time. However, he acknowledged that subsequent reviews went in a different direction, saying that this is something that sometimes happens. The actor also mentioned that he and his wife, Lauren Hashian, discuss these kinds of situations at length at home.

According to Dwayne Johnson, the real issue isn’t just the reviews the film received on its opening weekend. The actor says it’s great that some audiences liked the film, but there will also be those who didn’t. For him, the bigger issue is that Polynesian culture is visible on the big screen and that children can see themselves in this world.

The numbers for the live-action Moana, however, paint a rather harsh picture. The film grossed approximately $265 million worldwide, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 31%. The production budget was reportedly around $250 million. Therefore, the film seems to have failed to meet Disney’s high expectations for the summer.

Dwayne Johnson reprised his role as Maui in the live-action adaptation after his roles in the animated films. While Disney is reportedly working on Moana 3, a new live-action sequel doesn’t seem very likely at the moment. Although aware of the criticism, Dwayne Johnson doesn’t back down from his view that the film holds value in terms of cultural representation.

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