Overview
- Disney released the final trailer, put tickets on sale in June, and has moved the campaign into a last‑week push as the film prepares for a July theatrical opening.
- Dwayne Johnson reprises the demigod Maui and serves as a producer, saying his decade of life changes and his grandfather’s legacy shaped this live‑action performance.
- The cast and filmmakers completed major promotional stops in Hawaiʻi, Shanghai and a Sydney fan event on Thursday where Johnson performed “You’re Welcome” live with Polynesian group Te Vaka.
- Catherine Lagaʻaia makes her big‑screen debut as Moana while the original songwriting team — Lin‑Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina — return and the production includes a newly reported song, “Along The Way.”
- Public reaction is mixed: many praise the film’s Polynesian representation and theatrical focus, while some social media commenters question why a live‑action reimagining follows the 2024 sequel so quickly.