SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Australian actress Catherine Laga'aia has been cast as Moana in the live-action movie. The 17-year-old said she was thrilled to play her favorite character.

“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites. My grandfather comes from Fa'ala, 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,” Laga’aia said.

Laga'aia will star alongside fellow cast members Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Moana's father, Frankie Adams as Moana's mother, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. Filming for the movie is set to begin this summer, with a rumored release date of July 10, 2026.