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Disney drops first look at live-action Moana
The long-awaited first trailer for Disney’s live-action Moana has finally arrived. It offers audiences their first glimpse of newcomer Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson returning as the demigod Maui.
According to The Hollywood Reporter.
A first look at Motunui reimagined
The debut footage shows Laga’aia singing "How Far I’ll Go," the Lin-Manuel Miranda–penned anthem that became a global hit in the 2016 animated film. Viewers also get a fresh look at the island of Motunui, the villainous Kakamora, and Johnson’s shape-shifting Maui — now rendered in a grounded, richly textured live-action world.
The film, directed by Hamilton’s Thomas Kail, is set to arrive in theaters on July 10, 2026.
A new cast leading a beloved story
Alongside Laga’aia’s Moana and Johnson’s Maui, the cast includes:
- John Tui as Chief Tui
- Frankie Adams as Sina
- Rena Owen as Gramma Tala
The live-action remake follows the same core story: Moana, a determined wayfinder, journeys beyond the reef with the help of Maui to save her island and rediscover her people’s voyaging traditions.
Returning voices behind the scenes
Though Auli’i Cravalho is not reprising her voice role, she remains part of the production as an executive producer, joining Kail, Scott Sheldon, and Charles Newirth.
The film is produced by Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller.
Johnson originally voiced Maui in the 2016 animated blockbuster, which earned $643 million worldwide (approximately $870 million today) and received Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
Live-action remakes still a major Disney priority
The studio continues to invest heavily in reimagining its animated catalog. Following the box-office success of Lilo & Stitch and the strong performance of Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King, Disney has restarted development on a live-action Tangled after putting it on hold earlier this year.
With Moana commanding a global fan base and the original film still hugely popular on streaming, the live-action version is poised to be one of Disney’s major theatrical events of 2026.
Read more:
Top animated releases coming to Disney+ in November 2025
