See how far audiences will go to race to the theater to see this one. Disney unveiled the first look at the teaser for the live-action “Moana,” with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui and starring Catherine Lagaʻaia as the title Disney princess Moana.
Considering that “Moana” has been one of the biggest hits over the last decade of the streaming era, we predict that this one will absolutely soar at the box office.
In addition to Lagaʻaia and Johnson, the “Moana” cast includes Auckland, New Zealand, native John Tui as Moana’s father, Samoan-New Zealander Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother, and Rena Owen, from Bay of Islands, New Zealand, as Moana’s revered Gramma Tala.
“Moana” is directed by “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail and produced by Dwayne Johnson, along with Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated features “Moana” and “Moana 2.”
“Moana” follows a girl from her island home of Motunui who answers the ocean’s call and sets off on a voyage beyond the reef of her island, where no one has ventured in generations, in order to track down the infamous demigod Maui and restore her island and people to health and its former glory. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music for the film, and he scored an Oscar nomination for the original track “How Far I’ll Go,” which is featured in the teaser for this film, but it also includes a number of other bops such as Maui’s diddy “You’re Welcome.”
The original “Moana” released in 2016 and made $643 million worldwide at the box office, becoming one of Disney’s biggest original animated hits of this century this side of “Frozen” and “Encanto.” Though an animated series was originally intended for Disney+ as a streaming exclusive, the series was eventually converted into a new theatrical film, which opened last year and made over $1 billion globally at the box office.
“Moana” opens in U.S. theaters on July 10, 2026. Watch the first teaser trailer above.