MIAMI.- Catherine Laga’aia will travel to Motunui and beyond as the adventurous teenager who embarks on a daring mission to save her people in the new movie of action real of Disney Moana.
“I am very excited to play Moana because she is one of my favorite characters,” the 17-year-old Australian, born in Sydney, said in a statement.
“My grandfather is from Fa’aala, Palauli, on Savai’i, and my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai, on the main island of ‘Upolu, in Samoa. I feel honored to have the opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all the people of the Pacific Islands, and that young women can feel identified with my representation,” added the young artist.
The cast of the new installment of Moana also includes Auckland New Zealander John Tui, who will play Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams, who will play Moana’s fun and determined mother, Sina; and Rena Owen, originally from the Bay of Islands (New Zealand), who will be the revered grandmother Tala. They are joined by Dwayne Johnson, who lent his English voice to the demigod Maui in the 2016 animated version and who will once again play the beloved character.
Disney production
Moana will be released in theaters in 2026 and will be directed by Thomas Kail, who directed Hamilton for Broadway and Disney+, Grease Live, and the first and final episode of the acclaimed Hulu limited series We Were the Lucky Ones.
“I’m delighted to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John during the casting process. I’m honored by this opportunity, and I can’t wait to be all together on set. There’s no better duo to be in a canoe than with Catherine and Dwayne,” said the filmmaker.
The production – which celebrates the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in an adventure – will begin filming in the northern summer.
The new film will be produced by Johnson, Dany García and Hiram García through Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn, with FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs, will also produce. Executive producers will be Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo; Auli’i Cravalho, who provided the English voice of Moana in the 2016 film; and Charles Newirth, Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller will be part of the project.
This way, Moana will bring to life in a new way the story of a young woman eager to make her own path.
