Way back in December, action iconDwayne Johnsoncame aboard to provide the voice of a demi-god named Maui in Disney’s new animated adventureMoana. The story follows the title character, a young girl who teams up with Maui on her journey through the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, to find a lost and fabled island. Today,JoBlo Movie Trailershas a video that featuresDwayne Johnsonas the demigod Maui alongsideMoana, who will be voiced by 14-year-old Hawaii nativeAuli’i Cravalho.Moanahas been given a August 12, 2025 release date.
In April,Dwayne Johnsonrevealed that he will be singing in the movie. It was actuallyAuli’i Cravalho’s singing that helped her land the role, after an Oahu, Hawaii casting agent discovered the teenager’s vocal abilities during a charity competition. She was then flown to Los Angeles, where she met directorsRon ClementsandJohn Musker, and eventually landed the role. No other voice cast members have been announced at this time.
Ron ClementsandJohn Musker(The Little Mermaid,The Princess and the Frog,Aladdin) are directingMoanafrom their own screenplay, withOsnat Shurer(Oscar-nominated Pixar shortsOne Man Band,Boundin) producing. The music will be composed by Tony-winnerLin-Manuel Miranda(Broadway’s “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”), Grammy-winning composerMark Mancina(Speed,Tarzan,The Lion King) andOpetaia Foa’i(founder and lead singer of the world music award-winning bandTe Vaka). Fortunately, the film’s Hawai’i casting director remembered an unrelated audition Cravalho did as part of an a cappella group, which had been submitted for a talent showcase for a charity. Feeling the local teen would be perfect for the Disney role, she tracked her and her mother down and invited Cravalho to audition.
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped - and no one today knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comesMoana, a sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors' unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (voice ofDwayne Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds.
Cravalho has already started recording for the role. What do you think of the new Disney princessMoana? Chime in with your thoughts after checking out the video below. Be sure to stay tuned for more onMoana, including the first trailer. Do you think this could be another one of Disney’s hit animated movies?
