Moana cast and creators rave about Catherine Laga’Aia before it even hits cinemas

Disney dropped a behind-the-scenes look at its live-action Moana, and the whole creative team cannot stop raving about newcomer Catherine Laga'aia. The pitch is simple: they looked everywhere, found her, and now they sound borderline emotional about it. If the goal was to calm any nerves about recasting one of Disney's most beloved recent characters, this is the studio turning the charm dial to 11.

The search was global, the choice felt inevitable

Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda says the hunt for Moana went worldwide. Out of that sweep, Laga'aia clicked on two fronts: the voice, obviously, but also the curious, gutsy energy you actually need to sell a character who literally sails into danger on purpose. The team talks about it less like, 'we cast someone,' and more like, 'we found the person the role has been waiting for.'

"It is such a joy to see Catherine take on the life of this character," original Moana voice actor Auli'i Cravalho says in Disney's new video.

Director Thomas Kail (yep, the Hamilton guy) puts it even simpler: "It could only be her."

The clip Disney posted on June 11 also leans hard on the 'fearless' angle for Laga'aia, which tracks with what the character needs. If you're going to inherit an ocean, you better look like you belong on the water.

Who is steering this canoe

• Catherine Laga'aia leads as Moana
• Dwayne Johnson is back as Maui, carrying over from the 2016 animated film and the 2024 sequel
• John Tui plays Chief Tui
• Frankie Adams plays Sina
• Rena Owen is Gramma Tala
• Directed by Thomas Kail, bringing a theater brain to a story built on music and movement
• Original songwriters Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina return; Mancina is also handling the score

The story you know, with new faces in front of the camera

This live-action run-through sticks to the core arc: Moana answers the ocean's call, sails past Motunui's reef with Maui, restores the heart of Te Fiti, saves her people. The bones are the same; the point is seeing how a new cast, plus Kail's staging instincts, make it feel alive in a different way.

Timing-wise, the final trailer hit on June 10, and Disney has the movie headed to theaters on July 10. That lands almost a decade after the 2016 animated original and two years after Moana 2 in 2024, which looked great but caught flak for repeating the playbook. Translation: the bar is high. That also explains why Disney is out here putting a spotlight on Laga'aia early — if audiences buy her as Moana, the rest of this sails a lot smoother.

So is this going to work?

Live-action remakes are a tough sell unless they bring something real to the table. Here, the pitch is clear: a genuinely new lead with the voice and nerve to carry the vibe of the original, a director who knows how to build moments around music, and the original songwriting team back to keep the sound feeling right. Also, yes, Dwayne Johnson is anchoring things again as Maui — and if you've seen his recent, oddly sunny takes on AI in film, you already know he's in the 'let's try stuff' phase of his career. Make of that what you will.

If you're wondering whether Catherine Laga'aia can carry Moana's legacy, you're not alone. But based on how the people who made this are talking, they think they found the real deal. We will find out soon enough.