“Moana” Live-Action Trailer Reveals Catherine Laga’aia & Dwayne Johnson’s Epic Adventure
The first look at Disney’s live-action Moana has taken to the high seas with a new swashbuckling trailer. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui—now in the flesh after having voiced the character in the original 2016 animated blockbuster and the 2024 sequel Moana 2. He’s joined by Catherine Laga‘aia as the titular character (previously voiced by Auli‘i Cravalho), the adventurous teenager who, with Maui’s help, sets off on a daring quest to save her island home and her people.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said 17-year-old Laga‘aia in a statement. “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.”
Moana’s father, Chief Tui, is played by John Tui, while Moana’s mother, Sina, is played by Frankie Adams. Rena Owen plays Gramma Tala. Thomas Kail (Hamilton) directs the live-action film from a script by original Moana scribe Jared Bush and Moana 2 screenwriter Dana Ledoux Miller. Lin-Manuel Miranda, one of the co-composers on the original alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, returns as producer, while Mancina returns as composer.
The live-action Moana will set sail in theaters on July 10, 2026. Check out the trailer below.
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Featured image: Catherina Laga’aia as Moana in Disney’s live-action MOANA. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
