Disney Finds Its Live-Action Moana Actress

Disney has found its live-action Moana.

Announced in a press release, Catherine Laga’aia has been tapped to play the titular teenager in Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake of Moana.

“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” Laga’aia said in a statement. “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.”

Laga’aia previously starred in 2023’s The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. View a picture of her below:

Who else is starring in Disney’s live-action Moana movie?

The live-action Moana movie will also see Dwayne Johnson reprise his role as Maui. The cast also includes John Tui as Moana’s father Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.

Thomas Kail is directing the live-action Moana movie, which will be released in theaters in July 2026.

“We Were the Lucky Ones,” Kail said, “I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process. 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.”

Production on the new Moana movie begins this summer. Johnson is producing the film with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia for Seven Bucks Productions. FlynnPictureCo’s Beau Flynn and Lin-Manuel Miranda also serve as producers.

Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo, Charles Newirth, and Auli‘i Cravalho, the latter of whom voiced Moana in the 2016 project. The screenplay was written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller.

The live-action Moana movie releases in United States theaters on July 10, 2026.