Original Moana Actress Reveals Why She Isn’t Returning for Live-Action Remake

in Entertainment, Movies

Moana looks out at the setting sun in 'Moana' (2016)

Credit: Disney

Coming off of her latest role in the recently-released Mean Girls (2024) movie musical, Auli’i Cravalho is making one thing clear: she has no zero intentions to reprise her iconic Disney role alongside The Rock for the upcoming live-action Moana (2025) remake, and for a very good reason.

Moana holds an oar.
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Offers Promising ‘Moana’ Spinoff Update Ahead of Live-Action Remake

Auli’i Cravalho became a household name after lending her voice to the titular heroine in Walt Disney Studios’ Moana, which premiered in 2016. The animated film follows Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a coastal village who sails out on a daring mission to save her people against her father’s wishes. Along the way, she meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together, they confront the fiery Te Ka, once the benevolent island goddess Te Fiti. Only then can Moana fulfill the ancient quest of her ancestors and bring peace back to her home.

Off the bat, Moana was a smash hit thanks to its unique approach to the typical Disney princess story, memorable performances, and wildly catchy songs co-penned by Hamilton scribe Lin Manuel Miranda. While a Moana 2 isn’t in the works, Disney+ will offer a return to the world of Moana in 2024 with a brand new TV show, though an official release date remains to be determined. However, we do know that Disney already has plans to revisit the franchise in live-action after Disney CEO Bob Iger shared a video that saw Dwayne Johnson reveal that a live-action Moana movie was underway during the company’s Meeting of Shareholders Webcast last April.

Related: Moana Teams up With Belle, The Incredibles in New Disney Project

Reactions to the live-action Moana news were mixed, to say the least, considering Disney’s less-than-perfect track record of rebooting beloved tales like Aladdin (1992) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) for modern audiences. Notably, however, people were shocked to learn that Auli’i Cravalho would not reprise her role as Moana for the movie despite Johnson returning to play Maui. And although she’s alluded to why she decided to step away from the part in the past, she finally shared the exact reasons behind her decision in a recent interview with The Wrap.

Speaking with the publication, Cravalho revealed why Disney is seeking a new actress to inherit the role of Moana in the live-action remake, explaining that it was ultimately her choice to pass on the character to a new actress, given Cravalho is 23. She said, “It feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest,” continuing, “I have been invited, and I exist in these beautiful AAPI spaces, Asian American Pacific Islander, and I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And I’ll say it again: I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And our stories are so important to be told.”

Moana and Maui
Credit: Disney

Still, the door isn’t entirely closed on Cravalho’s Moana journey, as Disney did confirm she’ll executive produce the project alongside Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia. Speaking on the importance of AAPI representation in film and TV, the actress added, “We are used. And I want to tell our own stories. I want to be behind the camera as much as I am in front of it.”

She also brought up New Zealand-born director Taika Waititi, saying, “When I talk about representation, I want to see the same thing happening in writers’ rooms. I want to see the same thing happening with directors. And Taika Waititi talks about this as well; I wanna see showrunners who are also of indigenous descent telling their own stories.” Cravalho concluded, “And if it has to start with me — I’m 23, but if it starts with me, so be it. I want that door to swing wide open, and I cannot wait to meet the next Moana.”

Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) holding an oar
Credit: Disney

Based on her remarks, Cravalho seems to be taking Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of those who came before her to heart in true Disney princess fashion. It’s nice to know that Cravahlo is still involved with the project behind the scenes and that she’s seemingly willing and able to coach the next Moana — whenever Disney finds her, that is. Plus, this gives her the chance to pursue non-Disney projects in the future, which seems necessary as her career continues to thrive.

Auli’i Cravalho is certainly correct in saying AAPI representation matters both in front of and behind the camera and now that she’s set to executive produce the next Moana film, it really does seem like a full circle journey for the actress. For now, only time will tell if the upcoming Moana reboot will prove live-action naysayers wrong or if it will suffer the unsavory fate of many of its predecessors at the box office.

Do you think Disney should’ve pushed to keep Auli’i Cravalho on board for the live-action Moana remake, regardless of her age? Let us know in the comments below!

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