Full story
About Moana (Live-Action)
Moana swims into theaters July 10, 2026 as Walt Disney Pictures' live-action reimagining of the 2016 animated hit that grossed $687 million globally and became the most-streamed film of 2023 on any platform. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the demigod Maui, while Australian-Samoan newcomer Catherine Laga'aia, granddaughter of Samoan actor Mata Laga'aia, stars as Moana after being selected from a global casting search across the Pacific.
Thomas Kail, the Tony-winning director of Hamilton and Fosse/Verdon, makes his feature directorial debut on the project, with Jared Bush and original co-director Ron Clements among the producers. Lin-Manuel Miranda is expected to return with new songs alongside Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina. Production began in Hawaii in summer 2025 with additional cinematography and cultural consultation led by the Oceanic Story Trust that advised the animated original.
Fans are counting down for the first live-action Disney remake of a Polynesian-rooted story, arriving a year after Moana 2's animated box-office run. Expect fully rebuilt takes on 'How Far I'll Go' and 'You're Welcome,' a practical-plus-VFX Tamatoa, and Laga'aia's breakout moment at age 17. Disney is targeting family summer audiences with a PG rating, and early tracking suggests a $100M opening weekend aligned with Mufasa's holiday 2024 performance.
Overview
Why this movies page exists
This countdown tracks Disney's live-action Moana release. The remake is big enough, different enough from the animated original, and clear enough on date to justify a dedicated page.
Why it matters
Moana's live-action remake introduces Catherine Laga'aia as the new lead while bringing Dwayne Johnson's Maui and Polynesian storytelling back to theaters.
The details
Key highlights
- Venue
- Global theatrical release from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
- Format
- Live-action musical feature, expected 2 hours with IMAX presentations.
- Headliner
- Catherine Laga'aia as Moana; Dwayne Johnson as Maui; directed by Thomas Kail.
- Audience
- Family and four-quadrant summer audience; Moana 2 drew $1.05B globally in late 2024.
Reading the timer
How to use this movies countdown
Moana (Live-Action) sits inside the movies calendar as a live-action remake date that people are likely to check more than once. This page is meant to do more than show a raw countdown number: it keeps the tracked date, source quality, location context, and release confidence in one place so the page stays useful even when the final event details are still tightening.
Right now the key public signal is July 10, 2026, with confirmed status and date confirmed precision. That distinction matters. A confirmed datetime is very different from a month-level or date-only signal, and people planning watch parties, travel, ticketing, launch coverage, or newsroom publishing need that nuance instead of a misleadingly precise timer.
We are tracking Moana (Live-Action) from Official / Disney release schedule plus the official event source. For this page, that means the safest way to read the countdown is as a reference layer: use the timer for awareness, then use the source, precision, location, and event facts together before you commit to travel, viewing plans, promotional scheduling, or time-sensitive announcements.
The most practical reading of this countdown is: Moana (Live-Action) is being watched for a globally tracked release or event page, and the current page focus is the main live-action remake milestone rather than every surrounding rumor or speculative date. Format: Theatrical release. Category: Live-action remake.
Moana (Live-Action) should be treated like a film release page first and a countdown second. Movie dates can move by territory, premium-format rollout, or studio calendar strategy, so the details that matter are whether the page reflects a theatrical day, a broader release window, or a still-forming public slot. Current reference points include format: Theatrical release, category: Live-action remake, franchise: Moana / Disney. Search intent also clusters around moana, disney, live action remake, family movie, which is why this page keeps the movie-specific context visible instead of relying on a generic timer shell.