Pacific Islander actress will star in Disney's live-action Moana feature film

Samoan Aussie Catherine Laga;aia is the new Moana.

Catherine Laga‘aia will be voyaging to the Pacific island of Motunui and beyond as the adventurous Polynesian teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people in Disney’s upcoming live-action Moana.

“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said the 17-year-old Sydney, Australia, native. “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 cast also includes Auckland, New Zealander John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams portrays Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina; and Rena Owen, who hails from Bay of Islands, NZ, was cast as the revered Gramma Tala.

The actors will join Samoan American  superstar  Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the larger-than-life demigod Maui in the 2016 animated version of the film, will reprise his role.

Laga'aia's casting eases community fears that the new Moana might not be a Pacific Islander. 

“I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process,” Kail said. “I am humbled by this opportunity, and I cannot wait to all be on set together. And there’s no better pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne—actually, trio: Heihei is ready, too.”

Moana will bring to life in a whole new way the story of a young woman eager to pave her own path. The original Moana feature was an animated film which launched the career of Hawaii's Auli'i Cravalho, who provided the speaking and singing voice of the character. 

Cravalho, now a young woman, was considered too mature for the live-action follow-up. She was recently cast in the lead role for the London stage production of Evita, 

"I’m truly honored to pass this baton to the next woman of Pacific Island descent to honor our incredible Pacific peoples, cultures, and communities that help inspire her story, and I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representation to come. Mahalo," Cravalho shared on social media.

She said at the time that as an executive producer for the live-action fature, she would participate in the casting search for someone of Pacific Island origin to play the role she originated. 

The 2016 animated Moana introducing Disney's first Pacific Islander princess, grossed $687.2 million at the global box office and was nominated for an Animated Feature Oscar. A second animated Moana, featuring Moana as a teenager, is slated for release later this year. Cravalho will provide the voice for that feature.

Celebrating the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in a spectacular adventure, the live-action production begins filming this summer.

Releasing in theaters on July 10, 2026, Moana is directed by Thomas Kail, who helmed Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+, Grease Live and the first and last episodes of Hulu’s lauded limited series We Were the Lucky Ones.

The new feature film is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn via FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs, will also serve as producer. Besides Cravalho, Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo and Charles Newirth.

Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller have been tapped for the project. Bush, a veteran of Disney Animation, wrote the screenplay for 2016’s “Moana,” and Miller is a Samoan writer who created Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue and co-founded the nonprofit Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK).

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