Credit: DisneyAfter a turbulent 2025, Disney’s new face of the live-action franchise is here.
Last year, Disney finally released the live-action remake of Walt Disney’s first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Starring Rachel Zegler as the titular princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Disney’s Snow White, from director Marc Webb, drew intense scrutiny and controversy throughout its development, production, and release. It ended its theatrical run as a massive financial loss for the House of Mouse and went down in history as one of the most challenging Disney releases of all time.
While it looked, at first, like Disney was scrapping the live-action remake project after Snow White‘s performance, Disney has briskly moved forward with its upcoming Tangled (2010) remake from The Greatest Showman (2017) helmer, Michael Gracey. With a cast including Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively, as well as Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel and Diego Luna in an undisclosed role, production is ramping up on the live-action remake.
Before all this, though, the drama and chaos of Snow White and Disney’s pivots, the live-action Moana was announced. The studio is heading back to Motunui with a brand-new version of one of its most successful modern animated films. Following the massive success of 2016’s Moana, Disney is officially bringing the beloved ocean adventure into live action, with the film currently in post-production ahead of its July 10, 2026, release date.
The project was originally expected to arrive in 2025 before Disney shifted the film back by a year. The delay came as the studio focused attention on Moana 2 (2024), which became a surprise global phenomenon and crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
Returning to the franchise is Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role as the fan-favorite demigod Maui after first voicing the character nearly a decade ago. Johnson is also producing the project and has repeatedly emphasized the deeply personal nature of the story, which draws heavily from Polynesian culture and mythology.
When Disney first announced the live-action adaptation in April 2023, Johnson described the film as a celebration of Pacific Islander communities and traditions while revisiting the characters audiences connected with in the original movie, including Moana, Maui, Grandma Tala, and Te Fiti.
“We are so excited and happy to announce that a live-action reimagining of Moana is in the works,” Johnson previously shared, teasing a return to the islands and oceans that made the animated film such a standout hit for Disney.
Leading the remake is Thomas Kail, best known for directing Hamilton. The film marks Kail’s feature-length directorial debut, though Disney appears confident his theatrical background can help translate the emotional scale and spectacle of Moana into live action.
The screenplay comes from returning creative Jared Bush alongside Dana Ledoux Miller. Miller has hinted that the new adaptation will explore the story in a more grounded and emotionally immediate way, explaining that the live-action format allows the film’s “human vulnerability” to feel much more real.
Music also remains a huge part of the production. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina are both returning to contribute songs and music for the remake, helping preserve the identity and emotional core of the original soundtrack.
Disney has also placed major importance on cultural representation behind and in front of the camera. Johnson previously called the story “my culture — emblematic of our people’s grace, mana, and warrior strength,” with the production reportedly filming across Hawaii and other Pacific island locations to capture authentic environments and landscapes.
Stepping into the role of Moana is newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia in what will be her breakout performance. Meanwhile, original Moana voice actor Auliʻi Cravalho will remain involved as an executive producer rather than returning onscreen. Cravalho previously explained that “it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell.”
And it is Laga‘aia that has become the new face of Walt Disney Studios. As Disney celebrates the breadth of its studios, it has placed several characters front and center on its official banner. Joining Nick and Judy from the Zootopia franchise for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu for Lucasfilm, Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) for Marvel Studios, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) from The Devil Wears Prada movies for 20th Century Studios, Woody from Toy Story for Pixar, and Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich from Searchlight Pictures’ Wild Horse Nine (2026) is Catherine Laga‘aia for Disney Studios.
Even with a mixed fan response to its trailer footage, Disney is still positioning Moana as its big feature release this year, with Laga‘aia becoming the new face of the major movie studio.
The supporting cast includes John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, with the film continuing Disney’s effort to spotlight performers with Pacific Island heritage.
Story-wise, Disney is expected to closely follow the foundation established in the original film, with Moana embarking on a dangerous voyage across the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people. However, the live-action adaptation is reportedly aiming for a more immersive experience through practical filmmaking techniques, real ocean cinematography, and emotionally driven performances.
According to Dana Ledoux Miller, the added realism should help the story feel entirely different from its animated counterpart despite following many of the same beats. The filmmaker teased that the adaptation’s grounded approach would “give the movie a real human vulnerability that will make it feel fresh.”
With production now underway and Disney continuing to lean heavily into live-action reimaginings of its animated classics, all eyes will be on whether Moana can capture the same magic that turned the original into one of Disney’s defining modern franchises.
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