Dwayne Johnson has come to terms with the tepid critical reception to his latest movie, the live-action “Moana” remake.
The muscled thespian spoke with People about his reaction to the film, which drew the ire of critics.
“Our first two reviews came out,” Johnson said. “I’ll never forget it … They were amazing. I was like, ‘Wow.’ [Then] it went another way, as sometimes happens. That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business. [My wife and I] had a lot of these conversations at home, at the kitchen island late at night when the babies are asleep. The challenge was, ‘OK, let’s remember, though, what’s going to be beyond this opening weekend. Let’s remember what’s happening right now and the noise that’s happening right now.’”
Despite the lack of critical adoration, Johnson said he’s proud of the film and that it brought joy to people.
“If you love it, great. If you don’t, no problem,” Johnson said.
“Moana” received a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes and 42% on Metacritic. Variety‘s review was among the kinder critical takes, with Owen Gleiberman writing, “The remake of ‘Moana’ can’t, and shouldn’t, replace the original. But it earns a place alongside it.”
During Disney’s Aug. 5 earnings call, new CEO Josh D’Amaro admitted that the box office for “Moana” was soft, but he was looking at the bright side.
“Even when our franchise films don’t meet our box office expectations, as with the ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ and the live-action ‘Moana,’ our investments in these core properties fuel other parts of our company,” D’Amaro said.
Per Variety’s reporting, “Moana” could lose at least $100 million during its theatrical run.