Well, the summer movie season is almost over, and we now know that the movies of the summer were 1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is a box office phenomenon, and 2. The Odyssey, which is now the highest-grossing R-Rated movie ever. Do you know what movie didn't make a big splash, though? The live-action Moana.
In fact, things were looking so dire before Spider-Man and The Odyssey that I questioned if we would even HAVE a movie of the summer, with Moana's massive failure being one of the reasons I thought that. However, my question is, why did Disney bet on Moana when Encanto was right there?
Sure, like Moana, Encanto is also a relatively recent Disney movie (it came out in 2021), but I think it would have done WAY better if it had gotten the live-action treatment. Here's why.
Firstly, Encanto Would Be A Lot More Interesting, Visually, Than Moana In Live-Action
Look, I love Moana as much as the next person (I consider it a modern Disney classic), but one thing I would never say is that it’s super visually appealing. Sure, Maui's tattoos and transformations are cool, and Te Ka is an interesting antagonist, but otherwise, I think the movie is visually kind of bland. Just my opinion, of course.
This doesn't necessarily translate well to live-action, either. Seeing shots of Dwayne Johnson wearing a silly wig and countless shots of the ocean don't scream “must see in theaters!” However, one Disney movie that is a visual treat for the eyes is Encanto, which I think could have produced a rather impressive trailer to garner interest.
Because with the magical Madrigal family (Say that three times fast), those visuals could go a long way. Like, I would love to see who they would cast to play the brawny Luisa Madrigal. Would they get a bodybuilder, or would they use CGI? Or, what about Isabela Madrigal, who can control plants? Would they get the legend John Leguizamo to play Bruno? I just think they could have done a lot in a live-action space, visually speaking, that Moana never could, and that could have gone a long way to making it stand out more.
It Also Didn't Have A Fairly Recent Sequel Like Moana, So People Would Likely Warm Up To It More
I mentioned earlier how Moana, which originally came out in 2016, is fairly recent for a live-action adaptation, but it also had a sequel, Moana 2, which came out in 2024! That's WAY too soon to make a live-action adaptation of the original. For one thing, I think it's safe to say that even though Moana 2 did great at the box office, it didn't resonate with people like the original did. In fact, a lot of people think it's kind of mediocre.
That's not a great reputation to springboard off of, unfortunately. Plus, the recency of Moana 2 didn’t allow people to really miss the franchise (and yes, it’s a franchise now). Encanto, on the other hand, has been away long enough for people to say, “Oh, yeah. I remember that movie,” and in a positive way. And while yes, I know it was considered a financial disappointment at the box office (it made around $257 million worldwide), it gained a positive reputation on Disney+ and has since become one of the more well-known Disney films in recent memory.
We also can’t forget about the sensation that was “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. Yes, people HAVE stopped talking about Bruno, but a live-action adaptation of the film could bring back some of that magic, especially if they played a stripped-down, piano rendition in a trailer. Seriously, why HAVEN’T we gotten this live-action movie yet? Because in the end, Encanto would have been a much bolder choice for a live-action adaptation (Though, not as bold as Big Hero 6) than Moana, and thus, possibly a bigger hit in the long run.
