Dwayne Johnson Finally Addresses Moana's Bad Reviews & Underwhelming Box Office

Published Aug 7, 2026, 1:17 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. Sign in to your ScreenRant account This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.Dwayne Johnson just broke his silence over the negative reception that the live-action Moana got from critics and at the box office. Speaking with People, the actor said that the first couple of reviews for Moana were positive, and then everything went downhill from there. "It went another way, as sometimes happens," he explained, adding, "That's just the way it goes because we're in this business." Johnson reflected on conversations he had with his wife, Lauren Hashian, about how the movie might perform after opening weekend. "Let's remember what's happening right now and the noise that's happening right now," he said. Beyond the reviews, what ultimately mattered to Johnson, who is of Polynesian descent, was that "the culture really stood up." His children can watch a movie like Moana and say, "That's us for the first time on a big screen. That's us up there. How cool is that?" Hashian agreed with her husband's sentiment, adding that even if someone is not Polynesian, they can still "understand family and love and loss and perseverance—especially as a mom." From her vantage point, she's able to watch Moana through her kids' eyes and finds the whole experience to be "very magical." Hashian is not just Johnson's wife in this endeavor. She's also a singer-songwriter who worked as a co-executive producer with Johnson, Tiana Nonosina Liufau and Kayla Faʻamaligi on Moana: Voices Across the Ocean, a companion album to the film. More to come...