Moana in live-action: the first trailer takes to the sea
Catherine Lagaʻaia and Dwayne Johnson bring the characters from the Disney animated classic to life.
After the billion Moana 2 at the global box office in 2024, Disney has just released the very first trailer for the live-action version of its 2026 classic. A live-action trailer, and which sings “Blue Light”, obviously.
As in the original, the story follows Vaiana, this time played in the flesh by the young Catherine Lagaʻaia, 17, who succeeds Auli’i Cravalho (who remains executive producer of the film). The intrepid teenager answers the call of the Ocean and leaves the Motunui coral reef for the first time. His mission: to save his island and its people. She meets the demigod Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson (who already did the voice in the cartoon).
Catherine Lagaʻaia confides: “I’m really excited to play this character because Moana is one of my favorite heroines. My grandfather is from Fa’aala, Palauli in Savai’i, and my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of Upolu, Samoa. I’m honored to celebrate Samoa, all the people of the Pacific, and represent young girls who look like me.”
In the casting, John Tui plays Chief Tui, father of Moana; Frankie Adams plays his mother Sina; and Rena Owen plays the wise-cracking Gramma Tala.
The film is directed by Thomas Kail (Emmy and Tony Award winner for “Hamilton“), who here marks his first major live-action Disney adventure. The screenplay is co-written by Jared Bush (already author of the original film) and Dana Ledoux Miller.
Mark Mancina, composer of the 2016 film, also returns, while Lin-Manuel Miranda serves as producer.
Moana in live-action will be released in cinemas on July 8, December 2026 in France. Watch the trailer below:
