Disney's live-action 'Moana' aims to break the studio's troubled remake streak

If the live-action "The Little Mermaid" (2023) left fans disappointed and "Snow White" (2025) sparked outright anger, this one might be different. The girl from Motunui who gazes at the vast ocean and dares to dream even bigger, the irresistibly charming demigod Maui, and the indispensable comic relief Heihei — characters so faithful to the originals that any lingering doubts are quickly swept away.

That is the promise of Disney's new live-action film "Moana," opening in South Korea on July 8.

The animated "Moana" — one of Disney's flagship intellectual properties and a global box-office hit that grossed $1.7 billion worldwide — is coming to life in a live-action adaptation, a decade after the original debuted in 2016. The film faithfully follows Moana, a girl chosen by the ocean, as she sets sail into uncharted waters alongside legendary hero Maui to lift a curse threatening her island. The adventure invites audiences on a voyage driven by the same spirit of courage that made the original endure.

"Moana" is generating anticipation as the film that could finally break Disney's troubled run of live-action remakes, which alienated fans through casting controversies and other missteps. Newcomer Cath Ang plays Moana on her quest to find her destiny, while Dwayne Johnson — who voiced Maui in the animated film — now steps into the role in the flesh. Thomas Kail, who won the 70th Tony Award for the musical "Hamilton," directs.

Speaking at a video press conference with South Korean media on Monday, Dwayne Johnson said he was thrilled to finally share the film with audiences. "I hope audiences get swept up in the waves of this enormous, beautiful film," he said.

Director Thomas Kail locked in Johnson's casting early, then set out to find the actress to play Moana. Recalling the moment he spotted her among 32,000 candidates, Kail said his first thought was, "Maybe we've found our Moana."

"We needed an actor who could embody the essence and presence of the character of Moana," Kail said. "The first time I saw Catherine audition singing 'How Far I'll Go,' I felt she truly understood and sang Moana's emotions, her longing, her desire to go beyond the reef."

Moana's home of Motunui is a fictional island, a community inspired by the diverse cultures of Polynesia — Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii, the Cook Islands and beyond. For Cath Ang, who shares Samoan heritage with Dwayne Johnson, Moana carries a particularly personal meaning.

Having grown up watching "Moana," she said the character "is a wonderful representation of Pacific Island women." "I have always admired her boldness, her bravery and her curiosity, and I feel I share those qualities too. I approached the performance as a tribute to the original," she said.

Moana leaves home to venture beyond the reef into an unknown world — and in many ways, Cath Ang's own journey mirrors that arc, as she steps away from the familiar to begin a new voyage as an actor in Hollywood.

"I tried to connect with that feeling of leaving somewhere comfortable to take on a new challenge," she said. "Moana decides to go on her adventure, but when she feels uncertain, her mother tells her, 'This is the path you must take.' When I was cast and had to leave home, my mother told me, 'There must be a reason the film chose you.' There were so many points where I connected with the character."

For Johnson, playing Maui — Moana's steadfast ally and mentor — meant channeling his feelings as a real-life father.

"Maui is one of the best characters I've ever played," he said. "The moment I embraced the desire, as a man and as a father, to help and support Moana in pursuing her dreams, my whole perspective on the performance opened up so much wider."

He added that he felt the same way when he first saw Cath Ang walk onto the Hollywood set. "She must have been scared by the pressure of being the lead, but I wanted to give her the freedom and support to perform however she wanted," he said.

Moana's paternal grandmother Tala is the first to understand her granddaughter's longing for the sea, and the character who emboldens Moana not to fear her destiny. "Wherever you go, I will always be with you." Kail said that single line from Tala captures the film's core message: you are not alone. It is a warm reassurance that even in moments when we feel isolated, there is always someone who supports us.

"People can find greater courage and take on new challenges when they have solid support behind them," Kail said. "I also believe that I can take that one step further in my own adventures because of the ancestors who worked to build the foundation I stand on. For everyone who loved the original, I hope this film carries that legacy forward."