Disney releases first full trailer for live-action “Moana”
Published on 3/23/26 by Craig Smith
Disney has released the first full trailer for its live-action “Moana,” giving audiences their clearest look yet at the studio’s reimagining of one of its most popular modern animated films. The new trailer arrived on March 23, 2026 and puts the spotlight on Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana, while also previewing Dwayne Johnson’s return as Maui ahead of the movie’s theatrical debut on July 10, 2026.
The trailer marks an important step in Disney’s rollout for the film because it moves the project beyond casting announcements and early teases into a fuller presentation of tone, scale, and visual style. Disney had already released a teaser, but this new footage offers a broader sense of how the live-action version is approaching the 2016 original. The studio’s official trailer page keeps the pitch simple, describing the film with the line, “The ocean chose her for a reason,” while emphasizing its July theatrical release.
What stands out most in the trailer is Disney’s effort to preserve the story’s core imagery while translating it into a live-action format. Moana’s bond with the ocean remains central, and the footage leans heavily into sweeping coastal visuals, open-water adventure, and the mythic scale that helped define the animated film. At the same time, the trailer frames this version as more than a shot-for-shot remake, presenting the story through a different visual texture and performance style that comes with live-action filmmaking.
Lagaʻaia is a major part of that transition. Disney first announced in 2024 that the Sydney-born actor would take on the title role, with the company highlighting her Samoan heritage as part of the film’s connection to Pacific Island cultures and storytelling traditions. The trailer now gives viewers a better sense of how she carries the role onscreen, with Disney clearly positioning her performance as the anchor of the remake. Johnson, meanwhile, reprises the role of Maui after voicing the character in the original animated film, giving the project one of its strongest links to the franchise audiences already know.
The official movie page also confirms several key creative details behind the production. “Moana” is directed by Thomas Kail, with producers including Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Disney lists John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen among the supporting cast, reinforcing that the live-action adaptation is keeping many of the family and village figures who shaped Moana’s journey in the original film.
Disney also released an “Artistry of Moana” featurette alongside the trailer, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. That companion piece suggests Disney wants to frame the film not just as a commercial remake, but as a production built around costume design, choreography, music, and cultural world-building. For a title as visually and musically recognizable as “Moana,” that kind of messaging is significant. It indicates the studio understands fans will be looking closely at how the new version handles the material that made the animated film resonate in the first place.
The trailer’s release also comes at a notable moment for the larger “Moana” brand. The franchise has remained one of Disney’s strongest in recent years, and the live-action film arrives after the property already expanded well beyond the original 2016 release. That gives this remake a somewhat different role than earlier Disney reimaginings. It is not reviving a dormant title so much as extending one that is already central to the company’s current lineup.
With the full trailer now out, Disney has finally given fans a concrete look at what that next chapter will be. The big question is no longer what the live-action “Moana” might look like, but how audiences will respond when it reaches theaters this summer.
- News Topic: Disney Movie News
- Disney Character(s) in this Article: Maui (Moana), Moana Waialiki
- Movie(s) in this article: Moana (Live-Action)
