The time has come to answer the ocean’s call yet again. After introducing newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia as the live-action iteration of Moana, Disney dropped a new trailer for its upcoming live-action Moana reboot, featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson back in the role of trickster demigod Maui, tattoos and all.
Fans would recognise several shot-for-shot references to the animated film, including Moana’s interaction with Maui, her dancing with Gramma Tala, and CGI-heavy scenes such as Maui’s transformation into a whale and the battle against lava and fire creature Te Kā. The likes of Tamatoa the crab and Moana’s rooster, Heihei, also debuted in their live-action forms, alongside a preview of “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” and other familiar songs.
Described as a “reimagining” of the Oscar-nominated feature, the live-action version of Moana is directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton), with Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as producers. Auli’i Cravalho, the voice behind Moana in both the 2016 original and its 2024 sequel, joins Kail, Scoot Sheldon, and Charles Newirth as an executive producer, while Dana Ledoux Miller and Jared Bush are writing the screenplay.
Miranda, who scored an Oscar nomination for “How Far I’ll Go”, will reunite with returning composer Mark Mancina to work on original songs for the project, with Opetaia Foa’i also on board. In addition to Johnson and Lagaʻaia, the film cast includes John Tui as Moana’s father, Chief Tui; Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother, Sina; and Rena Owen as Moana’s Gramma Tala.
A critical and commercial success, the animated feature is set in ancient Polynesia and tells the story of Moana — the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a coastal village, chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti — as she sets sail in search of Maui, in hopes of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people from a blight that has struck her island. It grossed US$687 million worldwide, with Moana 2 collecting US$1.06 billion at the global box office eight years later.
The live-action remake is slated for theatrical release on 10 July.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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