Disney has found its Moana for the live-action remake. Catherine Laga‘aia (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) will play the heroine in Moana alongside Dwayne Johnson as Maui.
Laga’aia is a relative newcomer to film and TV having made her debut in Prime Video’s The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. In a statement, she said “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites. 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.”
In addition to Laga’aia’s casting, Disney has filled the roles of Moana’s family. John Tui (Young Rock) will play Moana’s no-nonsense father Chief Tui, Frankie Adams (The Expanse) will play Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother Sina and Rena Owen (A Mistake) will play Moana’s revered Gramma Tala.
Funny enough, Laga’aia and Adams both starred in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart with Laga’aia playing a younger version of Adams’ character and now they will play mother and daughter in Moana.
The live-action Moana will be directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton), who said of the new cast “I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process. 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.”
SEE ALSO: Journey back to the ocean in Disney’s Moana 2 trailer
They all join Dwayne Johnson, who will reprise his role as the demigod Maui from the original animated film. Before the live-action film though, he will be seen again as Maui this fall in Moana 2 alongside a returning Auli’i Cravalho. Moana was originally slated for a June 2025 release, but has been delayed to July 10, 2026 due to Moana 2‘s shift to a theatrical release after it was initially meant for Disney+.
Moana will begin production this summer.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
