Back in April 2023, we found out that Disney was working on a live-action remake of Moana. Today, we finally learned who will play the titular character.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said Catherine Laga‘aia, a 17-year-old from Sydney, Australia, in a statement shared by Variety. “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.”
Laga‘aia wasn’t the only casting announcement. We also found out that Frankie Adams (a.k.a. Bobbie Draper on The Expanse) will play Moana’s mother, Sina; John Tui will take on the role of Moana’s father, Chief Tui; and Rena Owen will play Gramma Tala. The actors join Dwayne Johnson on the call sheet, who will reprise his role as the god Maui.
“I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process,” director Thomas 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 is ready, too.”
Auli‘i Cravalho voices Moana in the original animated feature as well as its upcoming sequel, and is executive producer on the live-action project, where, according to Variety, she will mentor Laga’aia.
The live-action film is set to begin production this summer and currently has a release date of July 10, 2026. The animated sequel, Moana 2, comes out on November 27, 2024.
