Moana world premiere ignites as Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Lagaʻaia lead a wave of Polynesian dancers

Disney did not play it safe with the live-action Moana premiere — they went big. And honestly, if you’re going to remake a modern favorite, that’s the move. The team showed up at the Hollywood Bowl and basically turned a red carpet into a full-on performance to make their case.

They turned the Hollywood Bowl into a stage show

The world premiere hit the Hollywood Bowl, where Dwayne Johnson, new Moana lead Catherine Laga'aia, and a crew of Polynesian dancers took the stage for a live number. They were in performance-specific costumes, the whole thing was choreographed, and the crowd ate it up. It read less like a promo stunt and more like a statement: this adaptation isn’t here to coast on nostalgia.

Plenty of familiar faces were in the house. Johnson was there, obviously, and he’s back as Maui in the film. Laga'aia — more on her in a second — is stepping into Moana’s sandals. Auli'i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated original, showed support from the audience, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter behind those earworms from the first movie, also attended.

Meet Catherine Laga'aia (your new Moana)

Laga'aia is a 19-year-old Samoan-Australian actor who was picked from thousands of submissions to lead the film. This is her feature debut — she’s jumping from performing arts in high school straight to carrying a Disney tentpole, which is… not a small leap.

Director Thomas Kail says he knew almost immediately that she was the one. He told People:

"She’s something special."

"I would say to her, 'If you can do this, at any point in your career you can do anything.' Nothing will be as big of a leap as that."

There’s also a fun lineage note: Catherine is the daughter of Jay Laga'aia, who played Captain Typho in the Star Wars prequels. So yes, Moana now has a family tie to the galaxy far, far away.

How she’s approaching the role

Laga'aia grew up with the animated film and basically considers it a perfect movie — her words in spirit, not mine — which she knows you can’t just copy in live action. Instead of trying to replicate Auli'i Cravalho’s performance, she’s aiming for a fresh interpretation. That’s the right instinct. No one needs a karaoke cover of Moana.

• World premiere: Hollywood Bowl, with a live stage performance by Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia, and Polynesian dancers in custom-made costumes
• Who was there: Dwayne Johnson (reprising Maui), Catherine Laga'aia (new Moana), Auli'i Cravalho (original Moana voice), Lin-Manuel Miranda (songwriter from the animated film)
• Catherine Laga'aia: 19, Samoan-Australian, chosen from thousands; this is her feature-film debut after high school performing arts
• Director Thomas Kail: clicked with Laga'aia within seconds and says this leap will set her up for anything
• Fun fact: Laga'aia’s dad is Jay Laga'aia, aka Captain Typho from the Star Wars prequels
• Release: Moana (live-action) hits theaters July 10, 2026

Bottom line: between the Bowl performance and the casting energy, they’re signaling respect for what made the original work while giving the new version room to breathe. Now it’s on the movie to deliver.