It’s time to set sail once again with ‘Moana’ in the upcoming live-action retelling. Coming in over 9 years after the original animated film first hit the big screens, the makers on Monday, dropped the first teaser clip, offering fans a brief preview of the film and a first clear glimpse of newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana.
Moana teaser trailer
The nearly one-minute teaser opens on Lagaʻaia softly singing lines from the franchise’s hit song, “How Far I’ll Go,” before quickly cutting between images of her island life and her adventures in the ocean.
The brief footage also teased the return of several familiar faces, including the film’s comic sidekick Hei-Hei the chicken and the “coconut people”. Fans also got a first glimpse of Maui, but kept Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s look hidden for a while longer.
Moana plot
According to the official synopsis, the live-action film sees Moana (Lagaʻaia) answering the ocean’s call and sails beyond Motunui’s reef with the notorious demigod Maui to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Thomas Kail and reunites key creative forces behind the project.
Fan reactions
Reaction online were split with viewers praising Lagaʻaia’s first big-screen moments which some others marvelled at the accuracy they brought to the characters in the live-action while still others questioned a live-action remake, in under a decade. Set to arrive in theatres on July 10, 2026, the adaptation sees Dwayne returning with a largely new cast fronted by Lagaʻaia, a 17-year-old newcomer from Sydney whose casting was announced in June 2024.
