Disney unveils behind-the-scenes look at live-action Moana remake

Disney’s live-action Moana moved into the spotlight with a behind-the-scenes featurette that brought together Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho and newcomer Catherine Lagaaia as the film headed toward theaters on July 10, 2026. The rollout shows how Disney keeps returning to animated hits it has already tested with audiences: preserve the most recognizable names, introduce a new lead, and sell the project as both a nostalgia play and a fresh launch for a franchise it still sees as valuable.

Lagaaia stars as Moana, while Johnson reprises Maui and Cravalho returns to the property as an executive producer after leading the 2016 animated film. Disney frames the story the same way it did the original, with Moana voyaging beyond Motunui to restore prosperity to her people. The live-action cast also includes John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, a lineup that keeps the film anchored in the island family structure that made the animated version resonate.

The project was first announced in April 2023, when Johnson revealed the remake in a recorded message from Hawaii. At the time, Disney said Cravalho would serve as an executive producer alongside Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Beau Flynn, Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. That long lead time, stretching from announcement to release, fits Disney’s broader strategy with premium intellectual property: turn a proven animated title into a live-action tentpole that can play to older fans who remember the 2016 film and to a younger audience encountering the story for the first time.

The timing also reflects the strength of the Moana brand inside Disney’s modern catalog. The 2016 animated film earned an Oscar nomination, and Moana 2 arrived in November 2024, extending the franchise before the live-action version reached theaters. Disney’s emphasis on Lagaaia’s casting, and on the effort to find her for the role, signals how central authenticity and representation have become to the film’s launch, especially for a story rooted in Polynesian identity and cultural visibility.