Moana (Live-Action)

[D82]

Mark Mancina to Return for Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Movie
https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/12/0 ... ana-movie/

[Sotiris]

She’s also not done with charting the course for the plucky adventurer at the heart of the “Moana” franchise. Miller has teamed up with Jared Bush to write the screenplay for the live-action version of “Moana.” Thomas Kail, one of the creative forces behind “Hamilton,” directs with Dwayne Johnson portraying Maui, the mythological character he voiced in the animated films. Newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia will play Moana. “She’s incredible,” Miller raves. “She had no problem going head-to-head with Dwayne. She wasn’t intimidated at all.”

Miller says the live-action movie will honor the legacy of the animated original, but she thinks that seeing actors brave the elements will make the new version even more impactful. “There’s a 16-year-old girl who is on the open water embarking on a dangerous journey,” Miller says. “The visceral nature of that really comes through with live action. It gives the movie a real human vulnerability that will make it feel fresh.”

Source: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/moan ... 236223512/

[PatchofBlue]

Miller says the live-action movie will honor the legacy of the animated original[...]

All nine years of it? Are they sure they're up to such a monumental task?

[Patricier21]

Miller says the live-action movie will honor the legacy of the animated original[...]

All nine years of it? Are they sure they're up to such a monumental task?

Please close up your sar casm, You don’t need to expand it to be that big! But seriously,Despite the fact that it will be only about a decade since the original came out, it Does have a lot to consider its overall success and cultural impact, Even When It first came out, People were stating it be“perfect“ or at least one of the very best of Disney, So again, it literally does hubSo again, it literally does Have a monumental task to live up to

[Vlad]

Miller says the live-action movie will honor the legacy of the animated original[...]

All nine years of it? Are they sure they're up to such a monumental task?

I know, right?

[Sotiris]

Disney Scrapped Dwayne Johnson AI Image For 'Moana'
https://deadline.com/2025/08/disney-dwa ... 236478167/

[PatchofBlue]

Their reasoning is beautiful. "AI puts this movie beyond the reach of our greasy thumbs, so our hands were tied ..."

Although the Black Adam star approved the idea, the studio “worried” that they “ultimately couldn’t claim ownership over every element of the film if AI generated parts of it.” The film studio and the AI company were seemingly unable to come to terms, and the footage was scrapped.

[Sotiris]

Today’s Tuesday. Just this past Friday, around 8:00 pm, we officially wrapped the live-action version of Moana, so we can’t wait. This upcoming summer, you guys will see live-action Moana, and it’s going to be pretty cool. I spent an entire week shooting “You’re Welcome,” and the singing and the choreography is crazy.

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 236418791/

[PatchofBlue]

I'm assuming he means "wrapped" like the whole movie's done. As weird as it is that they'd just sit on the finished movie for eight months, I think it'd be even weirder that they'd still be filming a year later.

[Farerb]

When he says "wrapped" I think he means done filming, and the movie is entering post production stage.

[PatchofBlue]

I did a little digging, and I'm finding some sources saying that the movie finished filming last November, a little under a year ago.

https://maxblizz.com/disneys-live-actio ... s-filming/

It’s a wrap for Disney’s live-action Moana film starring Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia.

Filming began on July 29, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, and concluded after 116 days of shooting on November 22, 2024, in O‘ahu, Hawaii. The film has now entered post-production.

I haven't found like an official seal from Iger decreeing "And on this specific day, the filming was completed" or anything. It's all just secondary sources. But it's what comes up when I Google.

Neither scenario really makes a lot of sense to me. I can't imagine them filming a project like this for over a year, but neither do I really know how they plan on entertaining themselves until the movie premieres like eight months from now.

[Farerb]

I see.

Well, the movie was supposed to be released last July but then got postponed. I don't think it's unusual for a studio to sit on a movie. They don't really have a date where they can release this sooner.

[PatchofBlue]

That's very true. I hadn't factored in the release date changes.

[Sotiris]

Teaser poster and teaser trailer.

The trailer provides a first look at the live-action adventure, introducing audiences to the majestic island and vibrant people of Motunui; the shapeshifting demigod Maui; the intimidating yet adorable tribe of Kakamora; and Lagaʻaia as wayfinder Moana, who sings the powerful line “I Am Moana.” In addition to Lagaʻaia and Johnson, the Moana cast includes Auckland, New Zealand, native John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Samoan-New Zealander Frankie Adams, who portrays Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina; and Rena Owen, from Bay of Islands, New Zealand, as Moana’s revered Gramma Tala.

In Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar®-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy® and Tony Award® winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton); produced by Dwayne Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Thomas Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated features Moana and Moana 2.

Source: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/moana- ... n-trailer/

[PatchofBlue]

My first thought was that Catherine Laga'aia sounds EXACTLY like Auli'i. Like, they might as well have just brought her over to live action, same as Johnson.

It also looks like Hei-Hei is continuing the tradition of live-action animal sidekicks that should have been left in animation.

[Vlad]

It looks nice, but...what is the point? It's almost like an exact copy of the original.

[Sotiris]

The first teaser was far from impressive. First of, the actress playing Moana doesn't look like the character at all. Her singing is worse than Cravalho's even though the color of her voice is similar to hers. Her voice cracks and is off key several times. The shot with Dwayne as Maui jumping off the cliff looked very fake. I'm not sure if it was the CG or his bodysuit that made it look that way. Hei Hei is the stuff of horrors. They overdid it with the CG environments. It gave the whole thing an uncanny quality to it.

This remake looks like it's going to be a shot-for-shot one in the vein of The Lion King which will make it boring and pointless, but commercially successful.

[UmbrellaFish]

It’s just too soon.

It will likely do well at the box office, I guess, but a live action remake only 10 years out is really bothersome to me.

[Patricier21]

It’s just too soon.

It will likely do well at the box office, I guess, but a live action remake only 10 years out is really bothersome to me.

Of course, the reason why we are getting a live action remake so soon is so that way Dwayne here can actually still have the physique to play Maui, and not be able to before long. But of course, who else could actually play Maui who can sing and have the physique, charm and charisma? And if it means that we may very well get a second jungle cruise, let alone provide a turnaround towards people’s feelings about the franchise overall, after the very mixed reactions towards the second one let alone more money towards other projects, then if nothing else we can at least have that to look forward to from this!

[Farerb]

This looks like a catastrophe.