The 2026 live-action Moana is adapted from Disney’s 2016 animated film Moana.
The original Moana was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released in U.S. theaters on November 23, 2016. It follows Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian chief, as she voyages across the Pacific to return the stolen heart of the goddess Te Fiti. The film combines mythology-inspired fantasy, ocean adventure and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina.
The live-action version is a reimagining rather than an adaptation of Moana 2. Moana 2 is the 2024 animated sequel, while the 2026 film returns to the first movie’s central voyage involving Moana and Maui. Dwayne Johnson reprises Maui, and Catherine Lagaʻaia takes over the title role from original voice actor Auliʻi Cravalho. Because Disney has used similar remake strategies for films such as The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, some viewers describe the project as a remake; “adapted from Moana” identifies the same source film more precisely.