Ten years after Moana set sail across the open ocean to find the heart of Te Fiti, Disney is bringing the island story back to theaters, this time in live action. On Monday, the studio released the first official teaser trailer for the 2026 remake.
Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui, while 17-year-old Catherine Laga’aia steps in as Moana, per IMDb.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” Laga’aia told Variety. “My grandfather comes from Fa’aala, Palauli, in Savai’i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”
The original 2016 animated film was a phenomenon, sailing to over $643 million at the global box office and earning Academy Award nominations for best animated feature and best original song in 2017. Its soundtrack, created by Mark Mancina, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa’i, earned Billboard Music Awards recognition.
For the live-action adaptation, Disney is bringing back several creators in 2026. Jared Bush returns as co-screenwriter alongside Dana Ledoux Miller, with Thomas Kail — known for directing “Hamilton” — at the helm. Mancina once again leads the score, while Miranda serves as producer, per Disney.
The remake was first announced at a shareholder meeting in April 2023, and “marks the tightest turnaround between an animated Disney film’s original release and the live-action remake: “The original ‘Moana’ will be barely 10 years old when the live-action reimagining hits theaters July 10, 2026,″ according to Variety.
That tight turnaround has left fans divided. Some viewers feel Disney’s recent live-action remakes remain on thin ice, despite the recent success of “Lilo and Stitch.”
Even with the release of “Moana 2″ in 2024, some viewers believe Moana’s world still has more to uncover and that the stories of the island’s characters remain unfinished. As a result, many say they would prefer to see new stories, or at least a fully developed sequel, before the studio turns to remaking films.