During The Walt Disney Company's Meeting of Shareholders Webcast last April, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared a video which saw Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson reveal - from a beach in Hawaii - that a live-action Moana movie was in the works.
The animated version was released in theaters in 2016 and grossed nearly $644 million at the worldwide box office becoming one of Disney Animation's biggest hits. It boasted a soundtrack written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina, and there have long been rumblings about a live-action spin on this story.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson will reprise the role of demi-god Maui, though it was never made clear whether Auli'i Cravalho will return as Moana. The actress is 23, so it always seemed unlikely, though Disney did confirm she'll executive produce the project alongside Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia.
Talking to The Wrap (via Toonado.com), Cravalho explained why Disney is seeking a new actress to take on the role of Moana and why she has no issue with that.
"It feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest," she said. "I have been invited, and I exist in these beautiful AAPI spaces, Asian American Pacific Islander, and I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And I’ll say it again, I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And our stories are so important to be told."
"We are used. And I want to tell our own stories. I want to be behind the camera as much as I am in front of it," Cravalho added. "When I talk about representation, I want to see the same thing happening in writers rooms. I want to see the same thing happening with directors. And Taika Waititi talks about this as well, I wanna see showrunners who are also of indigenous descent telling their own stories."
"And if it has to start with me - I’m 23, but if it starts with me, so be it. I want that door to swing wide open, and I cannot wait to meet the next Moana," the actress concluded.
Like its animated predecessor, the new Moana will celebrate the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of her ancestors won hearts worldwide, as did her newfound friendship with an exiled demigod named Maui.
Thomas Kail (Hamilton) is set to direct the movie which is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 27, 2025.