Live-Action Moana: A Fresh Take Emerges

The live-action Moana is coming in 2026… and Disney quietly made one big change fans

didn’t expect. Most people assumed the remake would follow the 2016 film exactly.

But the biggest twist so far isn’t the story — it’s the cast. Disney replaced

both original actors: Catherine Laga‘aia is the new Moana, and newcomer John Tui is playing Chief

Tui, while Frankie Adams steps in as Sina. Auli‘i Cravalho chose not to reprise

the role, but she is producing — meaning she still has creative input. And even though

Dwayne Johnson is returning as Maui, the movie is being rebuilt from the ground up by director

Thomas Kail with a brand-new crew and locations. So the live-action Moana isn’t a shot-for-shot