On Monday, Disney shared the first official trailer for its upcoming live-action Moana film, starring Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson as the titular character and Maui, respectively. The film is directed by Thomas Kail, who won a Tony Award for his work as a director on the Broadway adaptation of Hamilton and a Primetime Emmy Award as a producer of its film version. The Moana trailer offers the first complete look at Dwayne Johnson's character in the film. Here, Johnson reprises his role as Maui from the animation films. As with the animated films, Maui in the live-action version also has tattoos and curly hair.
Describing it as a "live action reimagining of the beloved Oscar-nominated animated adventure," Disney revealed its plot in the trailer. The film follows Moana as she ventures beyond her island with Maui, the demigod, to try and save her homeland while restoring prosperity to everyone who inhabits it.
In the Moana trailer, the titular character's mother (Frankie Adams) tells her, "Beyond our reef, an evil darkness has found us. Moana, the ocean chose you. Find Maui, restore the heart of Te Fiti, and save us all." The tagline reads, "The ocean chose her for a reason."
The film is produced by Dwayne Johnson himself, alongside Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Hiram Garcia. Notably, Auliʻi Cravalho, known for her voice role as Moana in the two animation films, serves as an executive producer here, alongside Thomas Kail himself, Charles Newirth, and Scott Sheldon.
Moana marks the feature film debut of Catherine Laga'aia, who is known for her work in television. The film has original songs with compositions by Opetaia Foaʻi, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, in addition to an original musical score from composer Mancina. It is slated for a July 10 release in theatres.
