Moana Live-Action Director Explains Why Remake Was Needed

As Moana‘s live-action remake approaches its theatrical release, its director, Thomas Kail, has revealed the reason for reviving the 2016 animated classic with real-world actors. The Broadway veteran spoke in a recent interview about the need to retell the story of the Polynesian adventurer, stating that his desire to bring the “culture of the Pacific Islands” to a wider audience motivated him to remake the film.

Thomas Kail says Moana live-action remake happened for this reason

While speaking with GamesRadar+, Kail listed several merits of helming the real-life reimagining of Moana in his narrative feature directorial debut.

“I think there are lots of reasons,” he said, adding, “One of the core reasons was the opportunity to preserve and try to take the culture of the Pacific Islands and put it in a photo-real world. The original Moana and Moana 2 communicated so much about the culture to so many millions of people. And with live action, hopefully you’ll get all the people that watch the animated film, and also some folks that might say, ‘Animation is not for me, but I’ll step into this experience.'”

Kail further noted, “That was something we thought about a lot – how do we use that opportunity? The sense of danger when you see Catherine, this teenager, in the middle of this storm, it feels different when it’s a person inhabiting that. And so I think the sense of adventure and danger feel really heightened in that regard. And none of that takes away from the fun or the entertainment of it, but I think that gives it a beautiful counterbalance to all of the joy that we’re trying to deliver.”

Notably, both Moana features have dominated the global box office upon release, which would’ve helped greenlight the live-action adaptation of the animated original. While the first part earned more than $643 million worldwide, its 2024 sequel upped the ante by garnering over $1 billion on the global front, as per Box Office Mojo.

The live-action Moana, starring Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson, is on track to hit theaters on July 10, 2026.

Source: Comingsoon.net