Auliʻi Cravalho says ‘Moana 2’ makes Disney history. Here’s how.
Auliʻi Cravalho chats with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about how the character she voices in “Moana 2” makes Disney history.
“Moana” is sailing in for a reintroduction.
The upcoming musical adventure film, a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 2016 animated fantasy epic, offered fans a first look in a new teaser trailer released Monday, Nov. 17.
The nearly minute-long clip opens with “Moana” lead Catherine Laga’aia crooning a line from the film’s iconic theme song “How Far I’ll Go.”
“I am a girl who loves my island and the girl who loves the sea,” Laga’aia sings.
The trailer then shows an enchanting sequence of a young Moana interacting with the ocean, followed by panoramic nature shots and a magical bug that seemingly transforms into a human. The teaser closes with a glimpse at Laga’aia’s costar Dwayne Johnson, who is seen diving off a cliff as his “Moana” character, demigod Maui.
Released in November 2016, “Moana” grossed $643.3 million at the global box office and was among the top 15 films streamed in the U.S. in 2022. The animated flick starred Auli’i Cravalho and Johnson as the voices of Moana and Maui, respectively.
The film’s soundtrack, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, won Miranda a Grammy Award for best song written for visual media, as well as an Oscar nomination for best achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song) for “How Far I’ll Go.”
The movie’s 2024 sequel, “Moana 2,” earned a whopping $1.1 billion worldwide and scored a Golden Globe nomination for best animated motion picture.
Watch the ‘Moana’ trailer
‘Moana’ live-action cast
Aside from Laga’aia and Johnson, the confirmed cast for “Moana” is as follows:
- Catherine Laga’aia – Moana
- Dwayne Johnson – Maui
- John Tui – Chief Tui
- Frankie Adams – Sina
- Rena Owen – Gramma Tala
When does ‘Moana’ live-action come out?
“Moana” will be released exclusively in theaters on July 10, 2026.
