The original director of The Little Mermaid has criticized Disney’s efforts to remake its animated films, and his comments foreshadow some problems with the upcoming live-action Moana. John Musker, who directed the 1989 animated version of The Little Mermaid, seems to have a less-than-favorable outlook on the live-action version that came out in 2023, stating that “live animals in a zoo have more expression” than the characters seen in the film. Still, Musker’s criticisms didn’t end here.

The famed Disney director is also known for his work on other animated classics. In addition to The Little Mermaid, Musker is credited for directing the animated Aladdin, Hercules, The Great Mouse Detective, The Princess and the Frog, and even Moana. So, suffice it to say that he is quite an authority in the world of Disney animation. This makes his comments about Disney’s live-action remake movement all the more concerning. Musker stated that companies like Disney try to reduce risk by reselling the same product in a new form, even going as far as to strip away the appeal of animation:

“Companies are always like, ‘How do we reduce our risk? They like this, right? We’ll just do it again and sell it to them in a different form.’ Or they think, ‘Well, we could make it better.’

They didn’t play up the father-daughter story [in 2023’s The Little Mermaid], and that was the heart of the movie, in a way. And the crab — you could look at live animals in a zoo and they have more expression, like with ‘The Lion King.’

That’s one of the basic things about Disney, is the appeal. That’s what animation does best.”

The Live-Action Moana Is A Perfect Example Of What The OG Little Mermaid’s Director Is Talking About

Does Moana’s Story Really Benefit From A Live-Action Remake (Or Is It A Money Grab)?

Musker’s comments about Disney’s live-action remakes taking old products and selling them to audiences in a “different form” or trying to “make it better” were aimed at the 2023 The Little Mermaid remake, but another of the director’s projects are going through a similar process. A live-action version of Moana is expected in 2026, and though the film is at an advantage in that there aren’t many talking animals that would be lacking in expression in the remake, it’s an even stronger example of what Musker is talking about.

Moana is a newer animated Disney movie, so it was quite a surprise to hear that it was already getting a live-action remake. The big question of how Disney can “make it better” becomes more concerning because it is a recent project that wouldn’t benefit from a modern spin the same way even movies like The Little Mermaid could. It feels that Musker’s comments about reselling a popular product in a new form are true in the case of Moana, and such a money grab confirms all the greatest criticisms of live-action remakes.

Disney Remaking Newer Animated Movies Is Concerning

Disney Remaking Its Newer Movies Seems To Confirm John Musker’s Criticisms

Disney’s decision to create live-action remakes of past animated movies has been divisive. There has been an ongoing debate regarding the necessity of this—should Disney focus on making new products, or is there value in breathing new life into older properties? A prominent accusation is that the House of Mouse is simply finding easy ways to make money and stay relevant. The success of this plan is also hit or miss. Live-action movies like Aladdin and The Lion King have done phenomenally, while The Little Mermaid‘s box office numbers struggled to justify its budget.

The news about a Moana remake has only exacerbated this ongoing debate since there isn’t much of a way to make such a new animated film “better.” Released in 2016, the movie’s significance in popular culture is still high, and this will surely be increased by 2024’s Moana 2. Unless Disney has a highly ambitious plan about how the original animated movie can be made better, it certainly seems as if Musker is right that the studio is simply reselling audiences the same old thing for more money. This drastically tips the live-action-remake argument toward the side of the critics.

Can The Live-Action Moana Really Make The Original Better?

The Live-Action Moana Could Have Some Surprises

If the live-action Moana movie is basically the same as the original but with heavy CGI rather than animation, then Merker’s comments about Disney’s efforts will be confirmed. However, there’s always a chance that the minds behind the 2026 movie, including Hamilton director Thomas Kail, have something special up their sleeves that justifies the remake of such a recent animated movie. Indeed, Moana has a lot of visual potential, and the ocean scenes are sure to be breathtaking in CGI. However, these scenes were already a spectacle in animation, so the remake will need more.

Kail’s experience could mean that the live-action Moana will lean more into the theatre aspect, with some large-scale musical numbers worthy of Broadway. Combined with the cultural influence of the Pacific Islands, there’s potential here for something great. What’s more, the live-action remake would need to expand on the character arcs and relationships of Moana, with a focus on Gramma Tala, Moana’s parents, and Maui’s past. Even then, it will be tough for the live-action Moana to prove Musker wrong and avoid the fate of 2023’s The Little Mermaid, but we will see.