Disney has released the official teaser trailer for the live-action movie Moana. This project always sparked a chorus of “why?!” From the internet. It’s a short tease, but one that’s relatable to the fanbase. “How Far I’ll Go,” echoes of key scenes, and glimpses of young and old Moana once again answering the call of the sea. Watch the teaser above and read more below.
‘Moana’ teaser: Familiar music and live-action recreation
At first glance, Disney makes it simple and very recognizable. The teaser brings back “How Far I’ll Go” as the main musical element, immediately reminding fans of the 2016 film. We see flashes of a young Moana on the coastline, hints of herself finding her way as she gets older, and brief live-action recreations of some of the original’s most iconic images.
There’s a brief introduction to Motunui and its people, a tease of the Kakamora tribe and their coconut armor, and plenty of silhouette glimpses of Dwayne Johnson’s Maui. Katherine LaGaia’s Moana is given a moment to sing the line, “I’m Moana.”
Initial reactions are mixed: CG overload and “Why are we doing this again?”
So far, the reaction online has been…a bit choppy. Don’t focus too much on the negatives. However, if you scroll through the YouTube comments for this movie, it’s easy to spot a pattern. Many viewers have noted how the footage has been processed, with comments such as “There’s so much CG and image processing that even the real footage looks like animation,” “It looks like a fan-made trailer,” and “It somehow looks more digital than the original movie.” One commenter even quotes a disgruntled fish from SpongeBob:
On top of that, this teaser has bad timing. Arriving in the shadow of the release of Disney’s troublesome live-action version of Snow White, Moana itself is hardly “old” in Disney terms — the animated film is from 2016, and Moana 2 was released in theaters just last year. For many viewers, this feels more like a very quick development than a nostalgic revisitation.
Still, when people ask, “Why does Disney keep doing things like this?”, there’s a pretty straightforward answer. “Because it costs money.” All of the live-action movies released this year, “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “Lilo & Stitch,” have all surpassed the $1 billion mark. With numbers like this, it’s easy to see why studios keep coming back to remakes.
The cast, the creative team, and a little cautious hope
Up-and-coming Australian-Samoan Katherine Lagaia (Alice Hart’s Lost Flower) stars as Moana, while Dwayne Johnson returns as the trickster demigod Maui. The ensemble includes John Tsui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother Sheena, and Lena Owen as Gramma Tara, all bringing Pacific talent to a story that means a lot to audiences for the first time.
The live-action version will be directed by Thomas Kail (who directed the original Broadway production and the Disney+ version of Hamilton), with Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda among the producers. Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films “Moana” and “Moana 2,” is on board as an executive producer.
The big question is whether this feels like more than just an expensive Echo. For now, the teaser relies heavily on what people already like about Moana, and so far it doesn’t seem to be doing well online. But there’s a lot we still haven’t seen, including how Kyle will direct the musical numbers, how LaGaia will make the role her own, and whether this movie can justify its existence beyond “live-action equals box office.” You never know — sometimes these remakes manage to surprise.
release date
Moana will be released in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on July 9, 2026, and in US cinemas on July 10.
disney
Source link
