Moana (2026 film)
Upcoming film by Thomas Kail
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Moana is an upcoming American musical adventure film, serving as a live-action adaptation of Disney Animation's 2016 film. The third installment and the first live-action film in the Moana franchise, the film was directed by Thomas Kail in his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Dwayne Johnson, Hiram and Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. It stars Johnson (reprising his role as Maui from the animated past films) and Catherine Laga'aia in her film debut as the title character.
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- Jared Bush
- Dana Ledoux Miller
- Dwayne Johnson
- Beau Flynn
- Dany Garcia
- Hiram Garcia
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
| Moana | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Thomas Kail |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Óscar Faura |
| Edited by | Melanie Oliver |
| Music by | Mark Mancina |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 115 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Development of a live-action Moana film was announced by Johnson in April 2023. Kail was hired as director in May of the same year and Laga'aia was announced in the title role in June 2024, along with the main supporting cast. Principal photography occurred in Atlanta and Hawaii between July and November 2024.
Moana is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on July 10, 2026.[2]
Premise
Prompted by a summons from the ocean, Moana departs her home island of Motunui for the first time and travels past its barrier reef. Accompanied by the demigod Maui, she undertakes a voyage aimed at recovering the well-being of her community.
Cast
- Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, the curious daughter of village chief Tui and his wife Sina, who is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
- Dwayne Johnson as Maui, a legendary and strong-willed, yet egotistical shapeshifting demigod who sets off with Moana on her journey. Johnson reprises his role from the animated films.
- Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, Moana's grandmother and Tui's mother. Like Moana, Tala shares a passion for the ocean and the two have a very deep bond.
- John Tui as Chief Tui, Moana's father, Sina's husband, and Tala's son. He is chief of Motunui Island.
- Frankie Adams as Sina, Moana's mother, Tui's wife, and Chieftess of Motunui.
- Jemaine Clement as the voice of Tamatoa, a giant, villainous, treasure-hoarding coconut crab from Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, and Maui's nemesis. Clement also reprises his role from the animated past films.
Production
Development
On April 3, 2023, Dwayne Johnson announced on his YouTube channel that a new live-action remake of Moana (2016) was in development at Walt Disney Pictures. Johnson would be producing alongside his ex-wife Dany Garcia and her brother Hiram Garcia, for Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn for Flynn Picture Co.. The animated film's lead star Auliʻi Cravalho would serve as executive producer.[3] Johnson remarked "This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people's grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. [...] [T]here is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people." Sean Bailey, Disney Live Action's president of production at the time, acknowledged that, although only seven years had passed since the animated film was released, the celebration of Disney's 100th anniversary contributed to the decision to remake the film so soon.[4] The budget of the film is $200 million+ [5]
On May 31, 2023, Thomas Kail was announced as the director, making his narrative feature directorial debut after helming the live film recording of the Broadway production of Hamilton (2020).[6] Casting was expected to begin later in the year, but was suspended until November 8, 2023, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[7] In February 2024, Johnson stated that an actress had been cast in the titular role, but that the actress would be kept under wraps for the time being.[8] In June, Catherine Laga'aia was revealed to be the actress cast in the titular role, alongside John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen joining the cast, with Jared Bush and Moana 2 co-director Dana Ledoux Miller writing the screenplay.[9] This marked the third collaboration between Johnson and Tui, after Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and Young Rock (2021–2023).[10]
In August 2025, it was announced that Alan Tudyk would not reprise his role as Heihei from the animated films.[11][12]
Filming
Principal photography began in Atlanta, Georgia on July 29, 2024, under the working title Canon,[13][14][15] and wrapped in Hawaii on November 22.[16] It was previously scheduled to begin filming in June 2024 under the working title Motorheads,[17] after being delayed from an October 2023 start date due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.[18] Óscar Faura serves as cinematographer.[19] Bill Westenhofer serves as the visual effects supervisor, having left the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain America: Brave New World (2025) to do so.[20] In August 2025, it was revealed that the studio wanted to use an AI-generated deepfake of Johnson's face composited onto a body double for select shots with the actor's approval and the help of AI company Metaphysic, but later abandoned the idea to avoid potential controversy in the midst of societal and governmental issues surrounding the regulation of AI in the filmmaking process and everyday life.[21][22]
Post-production
Melanie Oliver edited the film.[23]
Music
Mark Mancina, who provided the musical score for the original film and its sequel, confirmed in December 2024 that he would return to score the remake.[24] Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was a songwriter for the original film, also returned. He was not involved with Moana 2 due to scheduling conflicts with Mufasa: The Lion King.[25] Miranda wrote the song "Along the Way" for the remake. It will be performed by Auli'i Cravalho, Catherine Laga'aia, and Dwayne Johnson.[26]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tulou Tagaloa" | 0:49 |
| 2. | "An Innocent Warrior" | 1:44 |
| 3. | "Where You Are" | 3:41 |
| 4. | "How Far I'll Go" | 2:51 |
| 5. | "We Know the Way" | 2:20 |
| 6. | "How Far I'll Go (Reprise)" | 1:25 |
| 7. | "You're Welcome" | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Shiny" | 3:04 |
| 9. | "Along the Way (Malaga Ki Ei)" | 1:42 |
| 10. | "I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)" | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Know Who You Are" | 1:24 |
| 12. | "We Know the Way (Finale)" | 1:10 |
| 13. | "Along the Way" | 4:17 |
| Total length: | 30:00 | |
Release
Moana is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2026, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the franchise and the release of the original film.[27] The film is expected to be released in IMAX.[28][29] It was originally scheduled for release on June 27, 2025,[30] but following the announcement of Moana 2, it was delayed by one year to its current release date to offset the short gap between the two films.[27][31][32]
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