- Disney has chosen who will star as Moana alongside Dwayne Johnson’s Maui
- Movie will be latest iconic Disney animation to be recreated in live action
- Moana is set to be released in July 2026
You’re welcome – we have news of the upcoming Moana live-action film and Disney has announced its choice for the titular heroine.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Walt Disney Studios announced they had cast the title role: “Introducing Catherine Laga’aia as the live-action Moana, joining Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The new reimagining starts production this Summer.”
Excited
Catherine Laga’aia is a 17-year-old actress from Australia. Her only previous acting credit is a role in The Lost Flower of Alice Hart, a TV series from 2023, which starred Sigourney Weaver and Frankie Adams, among others. In the series, Laga’aia played Young Candy in three episodes, according to IMDB.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said Laga’aia in a statement.
She added that her grandfather comes from Fa’aala, Palauli in Savai’I and her grandmother comes from the island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. “I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island people, and to represent young girls who look like me.”
Auli’l Carvalho, who originally voiced Moana, has already offered Laga’aia some advice, taking to X to tell her to “make it your own!”
Plenty to look forward to
Fans of Moana have a lot to look forward to right now as the animated sequel Moana 2 has been confirmed for release later in 2024. This is just one of a roster of sequels to well loved franchises that Disney has in production, others include Toy Story 5 which will be out in 2026.
The live-action version of Moana is scheduled to hit theaters on July 10, 2026.
