Live Action Moana 2026: New Trailer Drops, Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson Revealed in Full
Disney just dropped the full trailer for its live action Moana remake on March 23, 2026, giving the world its first complete look at the summer's most anticipated family film. The two-minute preview is already sparking fierce debate online and has cemented Moana 2026 as one of Disney's biggest theatrical bets of the decade.
Catherine Laga'aia Steps Into the Title Role of Live Action Moana
Catherine Laga'aia takes on the title role in Disney's live action Moana, playing the brave teenager who answers the Ocean's call and voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui for the first time. The role marks Laga'aia's feature film debut, and early footage has drawn strong praise for her screen presence and physicality.
Original animated voice Auli'i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in both the 2016 film and Moana 2, declined to reprise the role in live action specifically to open the door for another Pacific Islander actress to take on the part. Cravalho instead serves as executive producer on the remake, publicly championing Laga'aia ahead of release.
Dwayne Johnson Returns as Maui in Live Action Moana
Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role as the trickster demigod Maui, made history by becoming the first Disney star to play the same character in both an animated film and its live action counterpart. The Rock's transformation into the full physical version of Maui was far from easy.
Johnson described the shoot as grueling due to the costume and extreme heat on set, saying that between takes, five or six crew members were constantly fanning him and pulling his hair back to keep him cool. Fans watching the new trailer got their first real look at the result of that effort — a fully realized, large-scale Maui built for the big screen.
Full Moana Live Action Cast Revealed
The Moana live action cast includes John Tui as Moana's father Chief Tui, Samoan-New Zealander Frankie Adams as her mother Sina, and Rena Owen as the revered Gramma Tala. The ensemble is drawn almost entirely from Pacific Islander talent, a deliberate casting priority that producers maintained throughout production.
The creative team behind the film is equally notable. The screenplay is written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, the same duo behind the animated sequel, while Lin-Manuel Miranda returned as songwriter after missing Moana 2 due to scheduling conflicts.
New Moana 2026 Trailer Draws Mixed Fan Reactions
The new trailer was shared to Dwayne Johnson's 390 million Instagram followers and received split reactions. One viewer praised it as potentially better than the animated original, while another criticized it as a shot-for-shot remake and questioned its creative purpose.
The mixed response is consistent with broader fan sentiment around Disney's recent wave of live action remakes. The live action Moana faces the same fundamental challenge every remake does — justifying its existence beyond nostalgia while honoring a film that is less than a decade old.
Why Disney Made Live Action Moana So Soon After the Original
Disney's then-president of live action production acknowledged that while only seven years had passed since the animated film, Disney's 100th anniversary celebration contributed to the decision to move forward with the remake so quickly.
The film was originally scheduled for June 27, 2025, but was pushed back a full year to its current July 10, 2026 date after Moana 2 was announced, to avoid the two films releasing in close proximity. The July 10 date also marks the exact 10th anniversary of the original animated Moana franchise launch.
Live Action Moana Arrives in Theaters July 10, 2026
Principal photography took place in Atlanta and Hawaii between July and November 2024, with the film directed by Thomas Kail, making his narrative feature debut after helming the filmed version of Hamilton.
Moana 2026 will be released exclusively in theaters on July 10, with an IMAX release also confirmed. With the full trailer now public and debate already raging, Disney's live action Moana starring Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson is on track to be one of the most-watched theatrical releases of the summer.
