The younger lady within the image above is Catherine Laga‘aia, the 17-year-old actress from Sydney Australia who has simply been chosen to play the live-action model of Moana in Disney’s upcoming remake of the movie.
The remake will retell the story of the favored 2016 animated characteristic with live-action actors. Whereas Dwayne Johnson will reprise his position because the demigod Maui, the opposite elements have been recast — together with Moana, who was initially voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho.
The brand new movie is being directed by Thomas Kail, greatest recognized for guiding Hamilton on Broadway and its subsequent movie model on Disney+.
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In a press release, Kail had this to say about Laga‘aia’s casting:
We Had been the Fortunate Ones. I’m thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena [Owen, playing Gramma Tala], Frankie [Adams, Moana’s mom Sina] and John [Tui, who plays Moana’s father] by way of this casting course of. I’m humbled by this chance, and I can’t wait to all be on set collectively. And there’s no higher pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne—truly, trio: Heihei is prepared, too.
The live-action Moana is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 10, 2026. Take into account that this can be a completely distinct and separate venture from Moana 2, the upcoming sequel to the unique movie, which additionally options Johnson alongside Cravalho in a brand new animated journey. That film is scheduled to premiere in November of this yr. That signifies that sure, Disney has a Moana sequel and a Moana remake due in theaters lower than two years aside.
The Moana remake is anticipated to start out manufacturing later this summer season.
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