The cast has been officially announced for Disney‘s live-action take on Moana, the studio’s CG-animated musical hit from 2016.
Pictured above, seventeen-year-old Sydney native Catherine Laga‘aia, who has been cast as the titular character – a young girl who embarks on a journey to Motunui and beyond.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favourites,” Laga‘aia said in a statement. Catherine’s grandfather hails from Fa‘aala, Palauli in Savai‘i, and her grandmother from Leulumoega Tuai on Samoa’s main island of ‘Upolu. “I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me,” she added.
Pictured below: Dwayne Johnson, returning as the larger-than-life demigod Maui, a role he previously voiced in the 2016 animated film; Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), set to portray Moana’s spirited mother, Sina; John Tui (Solo: A Star Wars Story) from Auckland, stepping into the role of Moana’s stern yet loving father, Chief Tui; and Rena Owen (Once Were Warriors, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith) from Bay of Islands, NZ, taking on the role of Gramma Tala.
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Directing the film is Thomas Kail, who previously directed Hamilton on Broadway and the show’s stage recording that went to Disney+, Grease Live, and the first and last episodes of Hulu limited series We Were the Lucky Ones.
“I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process,” Kail said. “I am humbled by this opportunity, and I cannot wait to all be on set together. And there’s no better pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne—actually, trio: Heihei [the accident-prone rooster] is ready, too.”
The screenplay has been written by Jared Bush, a Disney veteran who wrote the original film and whose credits include Zootropolis and Encanto, and Dana Ledoux Miller, a Samoan writer whose credits include Netflix projects Thai Cave Rescue and Narcos.
The film is produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia through their Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn via FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who crafted the original songs, also joins as a producer. Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo., Auli‘i Cravalho, the original voice of Moana, and Charles Newirth.
The live-action Moana film will open in cinemas in 2026: specifically, in Australia on July 9th and in the US on July 10th. Production is scheduled to begin later this year.
