Disney Casts Live Action Moana

It has just been announced that Disney has found the actress to play the live-action version of Moana opposite Dwayne Johnson’s Maui.

17-year-old Catherine Laga’aia will play Moana. She hails from Sydney, Australia, and she is excited to play a character representative of your Pacific Island heritage.

Here’s what she said,

“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites. My grandfather comes from Fa‘aala, Palauli, in Savai‘i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”

The live-action film is set to start this summer. It will be directed by Thomas Kail based on a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. Bush wrote the original “Moana” as well.

Producers include Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia from Seven Bucks Productions, which is Johnson’s production company; Beau Flynn (FlynnPictrueCo) and Lin-Manuel Mirando. Of course, Miranda wrote the original songs.

Executive Producers will include Scott Sheldon from FlynnPictureCo., the original voice of Moana Auli‘i Cravalho and Charles Newirth.

Even with Disney’s live-action films doing worse and worse with each release, Disney is doubling down on the “Moana” live-action film. We shall see how it goes.

The film is scheduled for a July 10, 2026 release.

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Source: Variety