{"id":538275,"date":"2026-07-07T23:30:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T23:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/538275\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T23:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T23:30:25","slug":"moana-live-action-movie-is-coming-to-theaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/538275\/","title":{"rendered":"Moana Live Action Movie Is Coming To Theaters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s been revealed so far about the new production and its journey to the big screen this summer<\/p>\n<p>The upcoming live-action film will bring Motunui to life with Catherine Laga\u2019aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui, adding an epic ocean-bound adventure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/explore\/articles\/disney-blockbuster-summer-2026\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Disney\u2019s 2026 Blockbuster Summer<\/a>. Before the film sets sail only in theaters on July 10, 2026, here\u2019s everything we know so far, including what to expect and how to prepare for one of the biggest theatrical releases of the season.<\/p>\n<p>Watch The Moana Live-Action Movie TrailerThe Moana Live-Action Story, Release Date &amp; Creative Team<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783467022_198_original.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"A live-action Moana stands smiling on the deck of her wooden canoe at sea, pulling a rope with Heihei the rooster nearby.\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"h-auto w-full max-w-full\"\/>Moana (2026), Disney<\/p>\n<p>The ocean is calling, and this time Moana is returning to the big screen in live action. Disney\u2019s new reimagining brings the island of Motunui, along with Moana, Maui, Heihei, Pua, and the vast ocean into a new cinematic adventure.<\/p>\n<p>What is the Moana live-action movie about?<\/p>\n<p>The movie follows Moana (Catherine Laga\u2019aia), a spirited Pacific voyager, as she answers the ocean\u2019s call and sails beyond the reef of her home, Motunui, for the first time. Along the way, she meets the demigod Maui and together they embark on an unforgettable quest. <\/p>\n<p>The movie reimagines the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/explore\/articles\/oscars-academy-awards-guide-2026\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oscar\u00ae-nominated<\/a> animated adventure with live-action performances and big-screen visuals.<\/p>\n<p>When will the Moana live-action movie be in theaters?<\/p>\n<p>Moana arrives exclusively in theaters on July 10, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Who is behind the Moana live-action movie?<\/p>\n<p>The movie is directed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/explore\/articles\/emmy-nominations-2025\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Emmy\u00ae<\/a> and Tony Award\u00ae winner Thomas Kail, whose credits include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-f7f12d79-cfbe-4eb4-b275-091fd34b6dde\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hamilton<\/a>. Dwayne Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are producing. Thomas Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, and Auli\u02bbi Cravalho serve as executive producers.<\/p>\n<p>What To Know About The Moana Live-Action Movie<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783467023_303_original.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"A young Moana stands on a sandy beach from behind, holding a seashell as a massive wall of clear turquoise ocean water parts before her.\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"h-auto w-full max-w-full\"\/>Moana (2026), Disney<\/p>\n<p>Moana dives into live action with familiar characters, an all-new original song, and one unpredictable chicken. Before the movie hits theaters, here are answers to the big questions many fans have about the all-new live-action adaptation of this beloved story.<\/p>\n<p>The destination may be familiar, but the addition of human actors and on-location cinematography gives the filmmakers a new way to bring the islands, characters, and music to the big screen.<\/p>\n<p>Who is playing Moana in the live-action movie?<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783467023_62_original.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"A live-action Moana stands on a sailboat, looking over her shoulder with an alarmed expression against a backdrop of sails and a dim, warm-toned horizon.\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"h-auto w-full max-w-full\"\/>Moana (2026), Disney<\/p>\n<p>Catherine Laga\u02bbaia plays the titular adventurous teenager who leaves Motunui and sails beyond the reef after the Ocean chooses her for a mission bigger than she ever expected.<\/p>\n<p>The Sydney, Australia native takes on the role first voiced by Auli\u02bbi Cravalho in Disney\u2019s 2016 movie and its sequel, Moana 2. Laga\u02bbaia has shared that Moana is one of her favorite characters, and that she\u2019s honored to help celebrate Samoa and Pacific Island people through the role.<\/p>\n<p>Auli\u02bbi Cravalho is also involved behind-the-scenes as an executive producer, and performs the new original song by Lin-Manuel Miranda, \u201cAlong The Way,\u201d with Laga\u02bbaia and Johnson. Cravalho voiced Moana in the animated features, helping introduce the character to audiences before welcoming Laga\u02bbaia as Moana in live-action.<\/p>\n<p>Who else is starring in the Moana live-action movie?<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783467024_328_original.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"Dwayne Johnson as a live-action Maui stands shirtless with a serious expression, displaying his extensive tribal tattoos and wearing a leaf skirt under a bright, partly cloudy sky.\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"h-auto w-full max-w-full\"\/>Moana (2026), Disney<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/explore\/articles\/wwe-superstars-turned-actors-on-disney-plus\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dwayne Johnson<\/a> returns as Maui, the larger-than-life demigod who joins Moana on her voyage. The cast also includes John Tui as Chief Tui, Moana\u2019s no-nonsense father and the leader of Motunui. Frankie Adams plays Sina, Moana\u2019s playful and strong-willed mother. Rena Owen plays Gramma Tala, Moana\u2019s wise grandmother and one of the people who best understands her connection to the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Are any voice actors from the original Moana movie involved in the new retelling?<\/p>\n<p>Dwayne Johnson, who voiced Maui in the animated movies, takes on the same role in the live-action retelling. Jemaine Clement also returns as the voice of the glitzy giant singing crab Tamatoa.<\/p>\n<p>Watch The Animated Moana Movies On Disney+<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783467025_766_original.png\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"An animated Moana poses confidently with a wooden paddle across her shoulders next to a smirking Maui, who holds his massive fishhook, while the pig Pua and rooster Heihei sit beside them as walls of vibrant turquoise ocean water part on either side.\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"h-auto w-full max-w-full\"\/>Moana (2016), Disney<\/p>\n<p>Get excited for the live-action movie and stream Moana (2016) and Moana 2 on Disney+.<\/p>\n<p>You can also stream <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-354e4deb-0eac-4a9b-8265-303c4293ee67\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Moana Sing-Along<\/a>, with added on-screen lyrics accompanying the original animated movie.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-e8896bfa-1052-41f7-ae2e-00255d77cf05\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Add Moana (2016) to Watchlist<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/browse\/entity-a21ee2fc-421e-4839-bfcc-0bf2ba815875\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Add Moana 2 to Watchlist<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Explore More Live-Action Movies On Disney+<\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of stories with live-action reimaginings to discover or revisit. While the new movie makes its way to theaters, Disney+ has more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.disneyplus.com\/explore\/articles\/live-action-retellings-sequels\" data-auto-localize=\"true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">live-action adventures<\/a> ready for your next movie night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What\u2019s been revealed so far about the new production and its journey to the big screen this summer&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":538276,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[93,61,60,270],"class_list":["post-538275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=538275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}