10 Movie Castings You Did Not See Coming

Considering the fact that the original Moana was released just nine years ago, and the sequel came out only last year, it's surprising enough that 2026 will see the debut of a live-action version of the character. Yes, Disney is obviously obsessed with rebooting their animated catalogue, but after only ten years?

Perhaps this was to get Dwayne Johnson on screen as Maui as soon as possible, as the character and the story are clearly very important to The Rock. Not long after the People's Champion was confirmed to be reprising his role as Maui came the news that Catherine Laga'aia would be playing Moana herself.

It's not Laga'aia that is the surprising aspect of this casting, it's more the fact that Moana won't be played by Auli'i Cravalho. Though she voiced the hero in both animated films, she won't be making the jump to live-action along with Johnson, though she is attached to the project as an executive producer.

The reason why Cravalho has turned down the role is actually incredibly selfless and admirable. Simply put, rather than return, she wants to push for further representation and open the door for more young actors of Pacific Island descent. This is where Laga'aia will step in, to take the baton from Cravalho and bring Moana to life.