Overview
- The live-action Vaiana opened in cinemas on July 8, 2026, offering a full-length remake of the 2016 animated hit.
- Dwayne Johnson returns in the role of Maui and also served as a producer on the film, which pairs him on screen with 19-year-old newcomer Catherine Laga'aia.
- Producers say Laga'aia was chosen after an audition process that reached roughly 32,000 candidates, with several rounds including a New York stop before filming.
- The production was shot partly in Hawaii and in studios and uses extensive computer-generated imagery for the sea, animals and even island landscapes.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda contributed a new song and Thomas Kail directed, but early reviews describe the picture as a near shot-for-shot recreation that offers little clear artistic added value while fitting Disney’s wider live-action remake strategy.