One of the biggest changes between the animated film and the live-action adaptation is that the voice actress who played Moana, Auli’i Cravalho, will not appear as the live-action version of her character. Instead, much like the OG Moana actress herself in 2016, newcomer Catherine Laga'aia will make her big-screen debut as the Pacific Island princess.
While some fans might have been disappointed by this, the Mean Girls actress finally weighed in on the decision, throwing her support and excitement to the 17-year-old actress taking up the role in a recent interview with People :
She's a beautiful young woman of color. She's so brave to be on that canoe with Dwayne Johnson. I cannot wait to see her shine.
I agree with this decision to cast a new actress. Not that I don’t love Auli’i, I think she is an amazing actress and singer (I went to Mean Girls specifically to see her and Reneé Rapp absolutely slay their roles as Janice and Regina). But when it comes to live-action remakes, I think it is important to consider the age of the actor or actress in relation to the age of the character. Cravalho is now 23, and she was 16 when Moana was released. According to the actress herself, Moana being a teenager is essential to the plot of the movie:
When I look to a live-action film, I want her to feel like she's that 16-year-old, young, scrappy teenager who's going to save her island home from a manmade imbalance.
But fear not, Cravalho will still voice and sing as Moana in the second animated film and join the live-action project as a producer. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as the sometimes vain, yet kind-hearted demigod Maui in both upcoming films, just two of the many movies The Rock has on his schedule . The magic of the first Moana will still exist even without songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, as Hamilton director Thomas Kail has signed onto the live-action remake.
The All Together Now actress says Laga'aia definitely has that magic that is at the heart of the Oscar-nominated original film. She said she is “so excited” to see the young actress play the islander princess in this important “pan-Polynesian story,” especially when there is still very little Pacific Island representation in the film industry. The “How Far I’ll Go” singer says that is the key to a successful Moana remake:
As long as that is our heart, as long as we focus on this beautiful young woman coming into her own, I think everyone will be excited to see it.
So, the release of the movie later this year gives us a reason to rewatch the first Moana , as if we really needed a reason besides it just existing. You can rewatch it now and sing your heart out with a Disney+ subscription . Then, you can catch Auli'i Cravalho reprising the titular role when Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27. Then the wait will really begin to see Catherine Laga'aia take over the role in the realm of live-action in 2026.
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