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Catherine Laga‘aia is Disney’s live-action Moana & Auli‘i Cravalho's reaction is EVERYTHING
The live-action Moana has found its star and is set to hit theaters in 2026.
Make way, folks; Disney has found its live-action Moana!
After an extensive search, newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia, 17, will star as Moana in the live-action remake of the 2016 hit animated film. The young actor, hailing from Sydney, Australia, joins Dwayne Johnson in the movie, who will reprise his role as demigod Maui.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said 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.”
The cast also includes Auckland, New Zealander John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams portrays Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina; and Rena Owen, who hails from Bay of Islands, NZ, was cast as the revered Gramma Tala.
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Thomas Kail, who helmed Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+, Grease Live, and the first and last episodes of Hulu’s lauded limited series We Were the Lucky Ones will direct the reimagined Moana.
“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 is ready, too.”
According to Disney, the new Moana will dive deeper into celebrating the islands, communities, and traditions of Pacific Islanders.
Related:8 times Auli'i Cravalho blew us away, let's rank our favorite roles while we wait for Moana 2
Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia produced the new feature film via their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn via FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs, including the Oscar nomination for the song “How Far I’ll Go,” will also serve as producer. Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo., Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, and Charles Newirth.
Cravalho also shared her advice for Laga‘aia as she gears up to play Moana:
"Make it your own! I'm so proud of you and so happy that you're here. Get ready because it's a wild ride, but I'll be there with you. We can do the press together. It'll be fine."
The live-action adaptation of Moana is set to release in theaters on July 10, 2026, with production beginning this Summer.
Daric L. Cottingham (she/her), Deputy Editor of PRIDE.com, is an award-winning news, culture, and entertainment journalist. She is a proud Southern Black trans woman based in Los Angeles holding a mass communications degree from Prairie View A&M University in Texas and a master's in Sports & Entertainment journalism from the University of Southern California. Beyond her career portfolio, which includes the LA Times, Spotify, and freelancing for publications like BuzzFeed, Harper's Bazaar, ESSENCE, The Washington Post, etc., she does advocacy work as a general board member of NABJLA, striving to make the industry more inclusive for Black journalists.
Daric L. Cottingham (she/her), Deputy Editor of PRIDE.com, is an award-winning news, culture, and entertainment journalist. She is a proud Southern Black trans woman based in Los Angeles holding a mass communications degree from Prairie View A&M University in Texas and a master's in Sports & Entertainment journalism from the University of Southern California. Beyond her career portfolio, which includes the LA Times, Spotify, and freelancing for publications like BuzzFeed, Harper's Bazaar, ESSENCE, The Washington Post, etc., she does advocacy work as a general board member of NABJLA, striving to make the industry more inclusive for Black journalists.
