Moana (2026 film) facts for kids

Moana is an exciting new musical adventure film. It is a live-action movie based on Disney's popular 2016 animated film, Moana. This film is the third part of the Moana story.

The movie is directed by Thomas Kail. The story for the film was written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. Famous actor Dwayne Johnson is one of the producers.

Catherine Laga'aia stars as Moana. This is her very first movie role! Dwayne Johnson also returns to play Maui, just like he did in the animated films.

The idea for a live-action Moana movie was shared by Dwayne Johnson in April 2023. Thomas Kail became the director in May 2023. Catherine Laga'aia was announced as Moana in June 2024. Filming took place in Atlanta and Hawaii from July to November 2024.

Moana is planned to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on July 10, 2026.

Meet the Cast

• Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana, the brave hero.
• Dwayne Johnson plays Maui, the powerful demigod.
• John Tui plays Chief Tui, Moana's father.
• Frankie Adams plays Sina, Moana's mother.
• Rena Owen plays Gramma Tala, Moana's wise grandmother.

Making the Movie

How the Idea Started

On April 3, 2023, Dwayne Johnson announced on his YouTube channel that a live-action Moana movie was being made. Walt Disney Pictures is producing the film. Johnson is also a producer, along with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia from Seven Bucks Productions. Beau Flynn from Flynn Picture Co. is also a producer.

Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated film, is an executive producer. Dwayne Johnson shared how important this story is to his culture. He said it shows the "grace and warrior strength" of his people. He felt it was a special chance to play Maui again. Maui was inspired by his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia. Johnson also mentioned that music and dance are key parts of Polynesian culture.

The original animated film came out only seven years before this remake was announced. Disney decided to make the new film as part of their 100th anniversary celebration.

Finding the Stars

On May 31, 2023, Thomas Kail was announced as the director. The search for actors was supposed to start later that year. However, it was paused until November 8, 2023. This pause happened because of a big strike by actors.

In February 2024, Dwayne Johnson shared that an actress had been chosen for the main role. But her name was kept a secret for a while. In June 2024, Catherine Laga'aia was revealed as the new Moana. John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen also joined the cast. Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller wrote the screenplay for the film.

This movie is the third time Dwayne Johnson and John Tui have worked together. They also appeared in Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and Young Rock (2021–2023).

Filming the Scenes

Filming for Moana started on July 29, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. The movie had a special working title, Canon, during production. Filming finished in Hawaii on November 22, 2024.

The filming was originally planned for June 2024. It was delayed from an October 2023 start date because of the actors' strike. Óscar Faura is the cinematographer, who is in charge of how the movie looks. Bill Westenhofer is the visual effects supervisor. He makes sure all the special effects look amazing.

Music for the Movie

Mark Mancina is creating the musical score for this film. He also worked on the music for the original animated Moana and its sequel. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote songs for the first Moana movie, is also returning. He was not involved with Moana 2 due to other projects.

When to See It

Moana is set to be released on July 10, 2026. This date is special because it marks 10 years since the Moana story began with the first film. The movie was first planned for June 27, 2025. But after Moana 2 was announced, this live-action film was moved back one year. This helps make sure there isn't too short a time between the two movies.

See also

In Spanish: Moana (película de 2026) para niños

• List of remakes and adaptations of Disney animated films