Moana — Live-Action Disney's Voyage Returns in Live Action

Disney's live-action remake machine turns to Moana, with newcomer Catherine Laga'aia taking the title role and Dwayne Johnson reprising Maui. Hamilton's Thomas Kail directs, and the film arrives hot on the heels of 2025's enormous Lilo & Stitch live-action success — a reminder that, done well, these remakes can be genuine cultural events rather than nostalgia traps.

The original Moana has one of the strongest songbooks in modern Disney animation, and bringing it to life with real Pacific Islander talent and sweeping ocean visuals gives the remake a clear reason to exist. Expect this to be one of the summer's biggest family draws and a streaming juggernaut thereafter.