Even before her breakout feature debut in Disney's upcoming live-action film Moana, actor Catherine Laga'aia has signed to act in the Australian thriller film Crashout, which is currently in pre-production.

The 19-year-old actor has starred in the 2023 TV series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. Written and directed by Nick Annas, Crashout follows three high school graduates who are stranded on a highway after causing an inadvertent accident. In a desperate bid to hide their crime, they forged a found footage film. The film is expected to explore themes of self-preservation and narrative control through the lens of the youth.

Helen Tuck and Enzo Tedeschi from Deadhouse Films are producing Crashout. The film is scheduled to go on floors in Australia in March.

Meanwhile, Laga’gia’s debut of Moana also stars Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The film, which is in post-production, is set for a worldwide release on July 10.