Disney’s live-action remake of “Moana” brings in about $4.5 million in Thursday preview showings, according to Deadline and Variety. The outlets report that previews begin around 2 p.m. and that the film’s early box office performance is strong for its initial launch window. Neither source cites a finalized audience score yet, but both note that early critical responses are less favorable than expected. Deadline points to a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of roughly 35% for the new film, while also comparing it to other recent Disney live-action remakes with different critical reception levels. Variety similarly frames the weekend prospects around the combination of preview earnings and the early critical reaction. The remake stars Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising Maui, with Thomas Kail directing, as noted by Deadline. Additional coverage referenced by Google News headlines highlights that multiple reviews and critics characterize the live-action version as disappointing, though the specific review quotes are not detailed in the provided excerpts. Overall, the sources agree on the $4.5M preview figure and that critical reception is negative so far.