Disney has found its new Moana.

The live-action new movie in development has just made Catherine Laga’aia the lead character. Deadline reports the 17-year-old is a native of Sydney, Australia. And she seems quite eager to tackle the role of the iconic islander.

“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” she 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.”

She is in good company, as she’ll join Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will reprise his role as the demigod Maui. Along with Johnson, the cast will include John Tui (Moana’s father, Chief Tui), Frankie Adams (Moana’s mother, Sina), and Rena Owen (Gramma Tala).

The new film will be directed by Thomas Kail. He’s known for Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+ Grease Live.

“I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie, and John through this casting process,” Kail said. “I am humbled by this opportunity, and I cannot wait to all be on set together. And there’s no better pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne — actually, trio: Heihei is ready, too.”

According to Disney, “Moana will bring to life in a whole new way the story of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Celebrating the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in a spectacular adventure, the production begins filming this summer.”

About the original Moana

The original Moana animated film was released in 2016. It was a musical adventure produced by Disney, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall.

It starred Auliʻi Cravalho as the voice of Moana and featured The Rock, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk.

The movie was a success, grossing $248.7 million in the U.S. and Canada and $438.4 million worldwide, totaling $687.2 million.

When Harpers Bazaar asked Cravalho if she had any parts of herself for the role, she said, “Absolutely. I’ve grown up on an island all my life — so has she — and we’re both deeply connected to our culture. I go to an all-Hawaiian school, so even the mythology and folklore of Maui is something I grew up with. I love that Disney has taken the time and effort to do research about us and extensive research about our culture and find those wonderful stories about Maui. And I’m connected to Moana through my age; my 16th birthday was the day before our film was released. Her journey is something I feel as well — that journey to find yourself. It’s a recurring theme I think everyone can really take away [from].”

The new live-action Moana film is set to be released on July 10, 2026. Meanwhile, be sure to catch Moana 2 which will be released November 27 of this year.