Draft:Moana (2026 film)

Moana
Directed byThomas Kail
Screenplay by
Based onDisney's Moana
by Jared Bush
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyÓscar Faura
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release date
July 10, 2026 (2026-07-10)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Moana is an upcoming American musical action-adventure fantasy film directed by Thomas Kail in his narrative feature directorial debut, written Jared Bush and by Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Dwayne Johnson, Hiram and Dany Garcia, and Beau Flynn. It is a live-action adaptation of the 2016 animated film Moana, and the third installment in the Moana franchise overall. It stars Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui.

Moana will be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on July 10, 2026.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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On April 3, 2023, it was announced on Dwayne Johnson's official YouTube channel that a live-action remake of Moana (2016) was in development at Walt Disney Pictures, with Johnson producing alongside Hiram and Dany Garcia for Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn for Flynn Picture Co., while the animated film's lead star Auliʻi Cravalho serves an executive producer.[1] On May 31, 2023, Thomas Kail was announced as the director.[2] Casting was expected to begin later in the year, but was suspended until November 8, 2023, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[3] In February 2024, Johnson stated that an actress had been cast in the titular role, but that the actress would be kept under wraps for the time being.[4] In June, Catherine Lagaʻaia, John Tui, Frankie Adams and Rena Owen joined the cast, with Jared Bush and by Dana Ledoux Miller writing the screenplay.[5]

Filming

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Principal photography is scheduled to begin in summer 2024 in Hawaii and Atlanta.[6] It was previously scheduled to begin filming in June 2024 under the working title Motorheads.[7] It was originally scheduled to begin in October 2023, but was delayed to 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.[8] Óscar Faura will serve as cinematographer.[9]

Release

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Moana is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2026.[10] It was originally scheduled for release on June 27, 2025,[11] but following the announcement of Moana 2, it was delayed to its current date as a consequence of the eight month gap between the two films.[10][12][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Earl, William (April 3, 2023). "'Moana' Live-Action Remake Set at Disney With Dwayne Johnson Returning". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Kit, Borys (May 31, 2023). "Disney's Live-Action 'Moana' Taps Hamilton Helmer Thomas Kail as Director". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "'Moana', 'Lilo & Stitch' among Hawaii productions halted as actors join writers on strike". Hawaii Public Radio. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  4. ^ Ulatowski, Rachel (February 10, 2024). "Live-Action Moana Movie Gets Casting Update After Surprise Sequel Announcement". ScreenRant. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 12, 2024). "Disney Finds Their Live-Action 'Moana' In Catherine Laga'aia". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Hermanns, Grant (May 25, 2024). "Moana Live-Action Filming Start Window Revealed By Dwayne Johnson With BTS Video". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Production Weekly – Issue 1391 – Thursday, February 29, 2024 / 178 Listings – 38 Pages". Production Weekly. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Rajput, Priyanca (April 25, 2023). "Disney's Live-action Moana sets Hawaii and Georgia shoot". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  9. ^ "Oscar Faura". LUX Artists. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (April 5, 2024). "Disney Sets 'Toy Story 5,' 'Mandalorian & Grogu' for 2026, Delays Live-Action 'Moana' by a Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  11. ^ McClintock, Pamela; Couch, Aaron (June 13, 2023). "Avatar 3 Pushed a Year to 2025, Two Star Wars Movies Head for 2026 and Avengers Films Delayed". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (February 9, 2024). "'Moana 2' Was Supposed to Be a Disney+ Series. Why It's Hitting Movie Theaters Instead". Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "Moana Live-Action Film Likely to Be Delayed by Disney After Moana 2 Announcement". Movies. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
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