Moana Star Catherine Laga’aia: The new live-action Moana is almost here, and the young star at the center of it is already getting a lot of attention. Catherine Laga’aia is 19 years old and she plays Moana in Disney’s big remake. The film is set to arrive in theaters on Friday, July 10, and she has been speaking about what it feels like to step into such a huge role. In one interview, she joked about being the daughter of a famous actor and said, “I inherited nepotism, that’s for sure. I’ll take that anytime,” talking about her dad, Jay Laga’aia.
Jay Laga’aia is known for playing Captain Typho in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Catherine said she wanted to make her father proud, and she also wanted fans of the original movie to feel happy with her work. She explained, “I think having my dad in the industry, as well as wanting to do the OG proud, and wanting to do the people who love the movies proud, I feel my biggest thing was I wanted him to be proud,”.
She added, “He knows what’s good, he knows what he likes. I’m someone on his side. That’s the part of my family that I’m representing.” She also said, “So coming back to that, it’s like a ‘what would my dad do,’ but it’s also I need him to be, at the end of the day, proud of the legacy that I’m extending for him,”.
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What is Moana About?
The story stays close to the animated version. Moana hears the Ocean calling her. She leaves the safety of her island for the first time and travels beyond the reef with Maui, the demigod, to help bring life and hope back to her people. In this version, Catherine plays Moana and Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui. Disney says the film is directed by Thomas Kail, with music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina. Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films, is also one of the executive producers.
The film is also getting a wide release in India. It is set to play in English and Hindi from 10th July 2026. Disney’s official release materials and current coverage both point to that same date.
The Biggest Lesson Catherine Took From Moana
Catherine said the movie did more than give her a big role. It also taught her how to be braver. When asked what advice Moana might give to young people, she pointed to the wisdom passed down through the story’s family bond. She said, “I think it’s the advice that she kind of receives from her grandma, to go beyond the reef,”.
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She went on, “Something Tommy (director Thomas Kail) says all the time is that Grandma Tala knew something that Moana didn’t. She had this kind of trust and faith in Moana that she would achieve the goal she was always set to do. So, I think maybe there’s some divine thing that calls out to you that you maybe don’t know yet, but I think just seizing every opportunity is the best way to do it.”
She also said the role changed her in a real way. “I learned a lot about myself, and I learned how to be brave,” she said. “There were so many opportunities in that world that I was nervous to take and nervous to seize, because you don’t know where you’re going to end up. But coming off the back of it and coming out the other side, I feel like I am much more likely to seize something, to go for something that maybe seems too far away, or too hard.”
There is also fresh chatter that a third animated Moana movie is being worked on at Disney.
