Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shares “exciting” casting news for live-action adaptation of “Moana”

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The casting for the live-action adaptation of “Moana” (2016) is taking shape.

Dwayne The Rock Johnsonthe man who voiced the role of Maui in the fully animated film “Moana” (2016) showed his fans on his Instagram page some of the actors who will now breathe life into their characters.

“Exciting and inspiring casting news as we begin to bring our live-action MOANA family together,” Johnson wrote in the post, which shows portrait photos of the cast alongside their cartoon characters.

The first pictures show Catherine Laga’aia, 17, as the young actress who will play the eponymous Polynesian heroine Moana. The Sydney-born Australian is a relatively unknown person with Samoan roots, according to The Independent.

Rounding out the new cast are: John Tui, 49, who plays her father Chief Tui, Frankie Adams, 30, portrays her mother Sina, while Rena Owen, 61, takes on the role of Gramma Tala.

After listing the four new actors, Johnson reminded his fans that he is also part of the cast, writing, “And yours truly as a demigod ~ MAUI.”

The Hollywood leading actor added: “It is our great honor to share the legends, songs, dances and traditions of our Polynesian culture with all of you and your families around the world.”

He also announced that production on the live-action Moana film is set to begin in August and that #MOANALiveAction is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 10, 2026!

At the end of his speech, Johnson reminded us that Thomas Kail will direct the live-action film and that famous Broadway star Lin Manuel Miranda will write the music for the film.

Kail is working from a screenplay by Jared Bush, who also wrote the screenplay for the fully animated film “Moana” (2016), which was a huge hit with fans and grossed $687.2 million on a budget of $150 to $175 million.

Moana is a passion project for The Rock as he has Samoan citizenship because his mother is Samoan. IMDb.

“This story is my culture, and this story is an emblem of the grace and warrior strength of our people. I wear this culture with pride on my skin and in my soul,” he said of Moana.

“There is no better world for us to honor our people’s history, our passion and our purpose than through the world of music and dance, which are at the core of who we are as a Polynesian people.”

Sean Bailey, president of production for Disney Live Action, acknowledged that only seven years have passed since the release of the animated film “Moana,” but considered that Disney’s 100th anniversary celebrations contributed to the decision to remake the film so soon.

Johnson’s post comes as production advances on the fully animated sequel, Moana 2, written and directed by Dave G. Derrick Jr.

Auliʻi Cravalho, 23, reprises the role of voice actress Moana in the second part of the animated version.

The cinema premiere of Moana 2 is scheduled for November 27, 2024.