Summary
- Disney's live-action Moana adaptation is about to begin production, following the successful adaptations of Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book.
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is set to star as Maui and announces that production will start in August.
- The cast includes Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.
The live-action Moana remake has already been scheduled for July 10th, 2026.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Maui) took to Instagram to celebrate a massive production development. Check out his post below:
In the announcement, Johnson proudly states that "Production begins this August." The image also lists of the cast, including Johnson as Maui, Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The image announcement includes pictures of each actor next to the original animated character.
The Live-Action Moana Movie Is About To Enter Production
It Is Not Likely That There Will Be Many Changes
With the live-action movie ready to begin filming next month, the story is likely already set and written in its near-final form. The actors are still likely to improvise some scenes, but the movie should be a fairly straightforward and faithful adaptation, given that Johnson and producer Auli'i Cravalho (the original Moana) will have been involved in both productions. Unlike 2020's Mulan, which massively changed the story, Moana is expected to adapt the story directly, while enhancing the narrative with impressive effects.
Moana Remake Cast & Character Guide
Disney's reimagining of their hit movie Moana will be a retelling of the animated story with live-action versions of the cast of characters.
Disney likely also learned from Mulan's failure. The movie made just $69.9 million on a $200 million budget. The failure was partly driven by being forced into streaming by the pandemic and partly by audience discontent, all the more evident by the audience score of just 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. The faithful Lion King (2019) earned more love from viewers with an audience score of 88% and a box office result that netted $1.66 billion. Disney would undoubtedly prefer a result closer to The Lion King than Mulan, though it worked well on Disney+.
Though filming is soon to begin, Moana will not be the next live-action Disney adaptation. There are many more adaptations in development both before and after Johnson's movie. Mufasa: The Lion King is expected to be released on December 20, 2024, Snow White on March 21, 2025, and Lilo & Stitch is still slated for a 2024 release. Moana will be a later release, but there are more to come after it, including Hercules, Bambi, and Robin Hood. With Moana ready to begin production, however, it is officially on the horizon.
Source: Dwayne Johnson / Instagram
Moana
- Release Date
- July 10, 2026
- Director
- Thomas Kail
- Writers
- Ron Clements, John Musker, Chris Williams, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell, Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller
Cast
Catherine Laga'aia
Frankie Adams-
John Tui
In Disney's live-action adaptation of "Moana," a young Polynesian girl embarks on a daring voyage to save her people, seeking the demigod Maui's help to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
- Main Genre
- Adventure
