Following the recent release of The Little Mermaid, another seafaring Disney Princess' animated film is set to get the live-action treatment. As Dwayne Johnson announced in April, 2016’s Moana is getting a remake, per an ongoing trend from the House of Mouse to reimagine audience favorites. The latest news about the movie is an official release date, announced by Maui himself, and it's sooner than you'd think.
Dwayne Johnson, who is set to reprise the role of Maui in live-action and is a producer on the film, took to Instagram to share when Disney fans can expect the Moana remake: June 27, 2025. That’s right, we can expect the movie just two years from now. The date will be a year and a half shy of the decade anniversary of the animated Moana, which hit theaters on November 23, 2016.
Along with a beautiful photo of the ocean and a small island with two palm trees soundtracked by Moana’s opening song "Tulou Tagaloa" Johnson wrote how “humbled (and excited)” he is to share the remake’s official release date. The actor and producer also teased that the movie will allow him to share the “legends, songs, and dance of our Polynesian culture” with audiences.
Other major movies expected to be released in the summer of 2025 are Fantastic Four, Superman: Legacy and a Hot Wheels movie, so Moana has been added to a stacked schedule. On top of that, June is a prime summer release date that shows a lot of confidence from Disney to make the live-action version a summer blockbuster. The original movie made $643 million worldwide, landing in the top 15 highest-grossing movies of 2016.
The new Moana movie will be directed by Thomas Kail, who notably directed Broadway’s In The Heights and Hamilton. Since many of Moana’s songs were written by In The Heights and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the connections here make a ton of sense. Additionally, Moana’s original voice actress Auliʻi Cravalho is producing the film as well, though she announced she will not be reprising the titular role in live-action.
Along with a remake for Moana coming in 2025, there are two movies like it on the 2024 movie schedule, with a live-action Snow White starring Rachel Zegler set to hit theaters on March 22, and Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King, which is a prequel for Simba’s father, is hitting theaters on July 5. A remake for Lilo & Stitch is also currently in production, but a release date has not yet been announced.
With production moving so quickly on Moana, we imagine it won’t be long until more of the cast is found and revealed. The remake has the task of representing the Polynesian people through its casting, which is a rare opportunity in Hollywood. We’ll be rolling with the tides of this production as more news about the live-action film comes out, and in the meantime, you can stream the animated original with a Disney+ subscription.
