Disney’s live-action Moana has set a major benchmark for the studio after its teaser trailer drew 182 million views within its first 24 hours.
It is now Disney’s second-most viewed live-action trailer, behind The Lion King (2019), which recorded 225 million views in the same timeframe.
The strong performance signals promising early interest in the film. The original Moana (2016) grossed $643.3 million worldwide, while the animated sequel Moana 2 (2024) surpassed the billion-dollar mark with a global total of $1.059 billion. The franchise’s steady success and growing nostalgia factor suggest that the live-action adaptation could become its biggest box office performer yet.
Disney’s track record with live-action remakes supports that possibility. Lilo & Stitch (2025) earned $1.038 billion globally, far exceeding the animated version’s $273.1 million and becoming the first Hollywood film of 2025 to cross the billion-dollar mark. Whether Moana can reach similar heights will be clearer when it arrives in theatres on July 10, 2026.
In the broader list of 2025 trailer releases, Moana currently ranks third for 24-hour viewership. It follows Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps with 202 million views and 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 185 million views.
The live-action film is expected to follow the core story of the animated classic, with Moana venturing beyond the reef to save her people from an impending curse. Catherine Laga’aia stars as Moana, while Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui. The film is directed by Tony Award winner Thomas Kail and produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Beau Flynn, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, who composed songs for the 2016 film, will also return to create new music.