Disney news: First-look at live-action ‘Moana’ revealed in new trailer
The Disney live-action reboot train shows no signs of slowing down, with Moana the latest story to get the do-over treatment.
Due for a release just 10 years after the animated original, the live-action Moana comes just two years after the animated sequel.
Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence takes a look at the teaser trailer.
Catherine Laga'aia is Moana
Disney released the short teaser on Monday, and like many live-action remakes, the set pieces, characters, and costumes bore a near-identical resemblance to the animated Moana feature.
Moreover, the trailer was underscored by a rendition of classic original songs from the animated source material, How Far I'll Go and I am Moana.
In 2016, those vocals were laid down by Auli'i Cravalho, but this time around, it’s the turn of young actress Catherine Laga'aia to step into the title role.
Laga'aia’s voice rings out throughout the trailer before her full reveal at its end.
There’s also a brief glimpse of Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as Maui.
Moana will release in cinemas on July 10, 2026, courtesy of director Thomas Kail and writers Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller.
The legacy of ‘Moana’
A live-action Moana film is no surprise given Disney’s recent strategy to lazily turn around its existing animated IP for a quick box office grab, but the timing is dubious.
A decade bridge between original and remake is no time at all compared to Disney’s usual fare of reimagining animated classics from the 1990s and way before.
Still, it’s a near guarantee that this film will be a box office success thanks to the existing Moana legacy.
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The 2016 original was nominated for two Oscars and went on to earn $643.3 million worldwide at the box office.
Then, 2024’s follow up, Moana 2, grossed just over $1 billion worldwide at the box office, while scoring a healthy enough 60% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
That’s quite a bit shy of the 95% scored by the original.
Disney will be hoping to recapture that magic with its latest live-action remake.
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