The First Live-Action 'Moana' Set Leaks Have Me Dreaming Of A Hawaii Vacation
In the age of live action remakes, plenty of our favorite Disney Princesses have gotten the IRL treatment. Mulan, Ariel, and Jasmine's stories are all available to stream on Disney+ (plus the upcoming live Lilo & Stitch), and now, not only are we getting an animated Moana 2 this fall, but Disney is also giving us a live action remake of the 2016 movie.
Here's the latest news on the live-action Moana before we travel back to Motunui!
See The First Set Leaks From Moana!
Dwayne Johnson as Maui on the set of Disney’s live-action #Moana film. 📷 pic.twitter.com/3DhYDc7ZVc
— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) November 20, 2024
The first leaks from the live Moana show off Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui. While I was a little apprehensive about a live-action version of the movie, this actually makes me excited! It takes "embodying a role" to a whole new level.
So I’m not gonna lie.. I forgot a live action version of #Moana was actually happening BUT non the less I’m genuinely sat for it!
— Joey Lever #TASM3 (@FilmmakerJoey) November 17, 2024
Here’s a few on set pics of Moanas wa'a kaulua 👀#disney pic.twitter.com/wIXwAXsVYs
And the set looks BEAUTIFUL. Considering they're filming in Hawaii, I'm not surprised.
When is the live-action Moana coming out?
Walt Disney Studios
Moana Release Date
Moana is currently scheduled for a July 10, 2026 release date. According to a Disney press release, the movie starts filming summer 2024.
Who is the actress who plays Moana?
Walt Disney Studios
Moana Cast
The live-action Moana will be played by Catherine Laga‘aia. “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” she says in a Disney press release. “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 stars alongside Dwane "The Rock" Johnson as Maui (who he also voiced in the animated film), John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as the revered Gramma Tala.
Even though original voice actress Auli‘i Cravalho isn't returning as Moana, she'll be executive producing the new Disney movie!
Will there be a live-action Moana?
Walt Disney Studios
Yes, we're getting a live-action Moana! The new movie will be directed by Thomas Kail (who did Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+ as well as We Were the Lucky Ones), with Dana Ledoux Miller and the original film's screenwriter Jared Bush penning this script.
Are you excited for the live-action Moana? This is going to be a perfect summer movie!
This post has been updated.
