After months of searching for their lead star, Disney has landed on Catherine Laga’aia to star as the titular character of Moana. Seventeen years old as of this writing, the soon-to-be superstar was born in Australia. To date, she has only starred in the critically acclaimed Australian miniseries “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” which debuted on Amazon Prime Video. Despite only just starting her acting journey, Laga’aia is the perfect choice for Moana.
Introducing Catherine Laga’aia as the live-action Moana, joining Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The new reimagining starts production this Summer. pic.twitter.com/UlyuWfTGF8
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) June 12, 2024
“I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” she said in Disney’s press release. “My grandfather comes from Fa’aala, Palauli, in Savai’i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”
Laga’aia is the perfect age for Moana, who was depicted as 16 in the original pic, and she boasts the character’s signature curly hair, making her a solid choice for the upcoming blockbuster. Our new Moana also happens to be the daughter of New Zealand screen icon Jay Laga’aia, who played Gregar Typho in the “Star Wars” prequels. Following the announcement of his daughter’s Disney appointment, Jay took to Instagram to gush about how he excited he was for Catherine.
