Credit: DisneyThere are film promotions, and then there are the ones that feel genuinely earned. The ones where the partnership between a studio and a brand makes so much sense on a cultural and geographic level that the collaboration feels less like a marketing exercise and more like a natural extension of the story being told. Disney’s live-action Moana opens in theaters on July 10, 2026, and the promotional moments leading up to that release have been arriving steadily over the past several weeks.
A new trailer confirmed the return of Jemaine Clement as the scene-stealing coconut crab Tamatoa, reprising the role he originated in the 2016 animated film, alongside Dwayne Johnson, who returns as the shape-shifting demigod Maui in the flesh this time, rather than in voice-only form. Catherine Laga’aia steps into the role of Moana for the live-action adaptation, with Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the character in the original animated film, serving as an executive producer on the remake rather than returning to act in it.
But the promotional moment that landed this week felt different from a trailer drop or a casting announcement. Hawaiian Airlines unveiled the first of three specially designed Moana-themed aircraft ahead of the film’s July release, and the partnership between the airline of Hawaii and a story rooted in Polynesian voyaging tradition is the kind of collaboration that resonates in a way that most movie tie-ins simply do not.
What Hawaiian Airlines Unveiled for Moana
The first aircraft to be revealed is an Airbus A321neo featuring artwork and design elements inspired by the live-action film. The body of the plane’s body features Maui’s iconic fishhook, one of the most visually distinctive symbols in the entire Moana universe, and characters from the film appear inside the cabin, including the coconut-armored Kakamora, Heihei the chicken, and Pua the pig. The designs convey a message that connects the film’s themes of exploration and wayfinding to the airline’s own identity: “Voyage beyond the reef.”
Two additional aircraft designs are still to come. An Airbus A330 and a Boeing 717 will receive their own Moana-themed liveries ahead of the film’s July 10 theatrical debut. The Moana-themed artwork will also appear inside the aircraft cabins, including on overhead luggage bins, giving passengers who board these planes an immersive experience that extends beyond the exterior design.
Hawaiian Airlines has done this before. The airline previously launched aircraft designs representing both the original 2016 animated Moana and Moana 2, making this third iteration a continuation of a relationship between the airline and the franchise that has been built across multiple films and multiple years.
Why This Partnership Works
The connection between Hawaiian Airlines and the Moana franchise is not a stretch. Voyaging is genuinely central to Hawaiian Airlines’ identity as the airline of Hawaii, a place whose entire cultural foundation rests on a legacy of Pacific navigation using traditional wayfinding techniques that mirror the themes at the heart of every Moana story. The airline has described the partnership in terms of carrying that spirit forward, connecting Hawaii to the world in a way that reflects the same values of exploration and discovery that define Moana’s journey across the ocean.
That alignment between the brand’s actual identity and the story it is celebrating is what elevates this collaboration beyond a typical studio promotional arrangement. It is not a fast food chain putting a character on a cup. It is an airline whose home exists because of Pacific voyagers celebrating a film about a Pacific voyager, and the authenticity of that connection is visible in the care that went into the aircraft design.
What the Live-Action Moana Film Brings
Disney’s live-action Moana reimagines the original Oscar-nominated animated film from 2016, which grossed more than $680 million worldwide and found an even larger audience on Disney+ in the years since its theatrical release. Catherine Laga’aia plays Moana, the young voyager from the island of Motunui who answers the ocean’s call and sets sail to restore prosperity to her people. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as Maui, and the newly released trailer confirmed that Jemaine Clement will return as Tamatoa, the flamboyant coconut crab villain best known for performing the Lin-Manuel Miranda penned song Shiny during one of the original film’s most memorable sequences.
The trailer has generated conversation about how closely the live-action version appears to follow the original animated film, with some fans questioning the need for a remake of a movie that is less than a decade old. Director Thomas Kail, producer Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and executive producer Auli’i Cravalho have all spoken about the adaptation in behind-the-scenes footage released alongside the promotional campaign.
Whether guests encounter the live-action Moana first in a Hawaiian Airlines cabin somewhere over the Pacific or in a movie theater on July 10, the story of a young voyager answering the ocean’s call is about to reach a new audience all over again.
Source: Island News
