Moana returns to the big screen this month with a new look and a new star in Catherine Laga’aia.
Last November, Disney released the first trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the 2016 animated musical. Releasing July 10, 2026, the movie stars 19-year-old Laga’aia as the titular Moana with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprising his role from the animated films as quippy demigod Maui.
The one-minute teaser prominently featured Laga’aia. In addition to singing the hit anthem “How Far I’ll Go” from the animated original, she appeared as Moana sailing in her boat during a close-up. For many fans, it was their first look at Laga’aia, as the relatively unknown Australian actor is appearing in her biggest project to date.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Laga’aia was selected from more than 32,000 applicants to play the beloved character.
“I think for a lot of young girls, when they kind of get to have their Disney princess, I feel like it’s a rite of passage,” Laga’aia told Billboard. “Getting to grow up with Moana and having that representation is so important to young girls. I feel like it changes something in your brain and allows you to dream bigger and think farther. So I think getting to join in that legacy, I hope that it kind of extends that onto the next generation, and makes me be a part of something bigger than myself in a way that Moana also was.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the teenager following in the footsteps of Halle Bailey, Rachel Zegler, and other Disney live-action stars.
Laga’aia’s father is a movie and TV actor
Born in Sydney, Australia, the 19-year-old Laga’aia has acting in her genes.
She is one of eight children of New Zealand-Australian actor Jay Laga’aia, 62, who portrayed Draco in the TV fantasy series Xena: Warrior Princess and Captain Typho in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Four of Catherine’s siblings are also actors, including older brother Iosefa, who was previously cast as George Washington and Aaron Burr in an Australian stage production of Hamilton.
Jay celebrated his daughter’s casting as Moana in a May 2024 Instagram post, sharing Catherine would be joined by her mother, Sandie, and one of her sisters during what he referred to as her “huge adventure.” “You travel with the teachings of your parents and the love of your family and friends. Have fun and look after your mum. Dad xxx,” he wrote.
Laga’aia appeared in a miniseries with Sigourney Weaver
Moana will mark the first credited movie role for Laga’aia, according to her IMDb profile.
Laga’aia previously appeared in three episodes of the Prime Video miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which debuted in 2023. The seven-episode series, based on Holly Ringland’s novel of the same name, stars Academy Award nominee Sigourney Weaver as June Hart, a woman who runs a plant nursery doubling as a refuge for abuse victims.
She has the endorsement of previous Moana actor Auli’i Cravalho
Laga’aia assumes the lead role from Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original 2016 animated movie and the 2024 sequel, Moana 2.
Cravalho, 25, serves as an executive producer for the live-action adaptation and has been highly complimentary of Laga’aia’s performance. “Catherine Laga’aia is so stunning and beautiful, and I cannot wait for everyone to see her as Moana,” Cravalho told Entertainment Tonight in August 2024. “I have lived this story, and I cannot wait for this passing of the baton onto the next young woman of color.”
Laga’aia is proud to represent her family onscreen
Similar to her predecessor Cravalho, representation of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and their stories is important to Laga’aia.
Only 44 films over a 13-year span featured an AAPI actor in the lead, according to a 2021 study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Of those, 14 roles went to Moana co-star Johnson, who is of Samoan descent.
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” Laga’aia said. “My grandfather comes from Fa‘aala, Palauli, in Savai‘i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”
When does the live-action Moana release?
Moana is scheduled for theatrical release on July 10. The movie marks the first Disney live-action adaptation following the 2025 releases of Snow White and Lilo & Stitch.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
