Catherine Laga'aia stars as Moana in Disney's 2026 live‑action remake

Australian actress Catherine Laga'aia, 19, has been cast as the title character in Disney's live‑action adaptation of *Moana*, scheduled for release in 2026. The daughter of actor Jay Laga'aia, she was chosen from about 32,000 worldwide applicants and previously appeared in the Australian series *The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart*. In an interview she said her father’s advice was “your work is an audition, not a job,” and addressed the “nepo‑baby” label.

The film, directed by Thomas Kail and featuring music by Lin‑Manuel Miranda, pairs Laga'aia with Dwayne Johnson as Maui. Critics note that the remake closely follows the original animated story, describing it as derivative and questioning its timing, while praising certain production values such as the Hawaiian set work.