{"id":2497434,"date":"2026-07-11T01:51:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T01:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2497434"},"modified":"2026-07-11T01:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T01:51:36","slug":"see-the-live-action-moana-cast-side-by-side-with-the-animated-characters-they-bring-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/see-the-live-action-moana-cast-side-by-side-with-the-animated-characters-they-bring-to-life\/","title":{"rendered":"See the live-action \u201cMoana\u201d cast side-by-side with the animated characters they bring to life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Moana<\/em><\/a> is back on the big screen, though not quite as you remembered.<\/p>\n

It’s only been 10 years since the 2016 animated original became a global success and modern classic, but now Disney’s new interpretation of the tale brings some of your favorite characters to life in both live-action and photo-realistic animation.<\/p>\n

“How do you honor this? How do you say ‘we love it too’ and make it something that can be a companion and not try to be the same thing, but also trust what works?” director Thomas Kail told <\/a>Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a>. “The opportunity to have flesh and blood and have human beings tell the story and sing these songs and be in this world, there’s something so fundamentally different about that experience of watching and feeling that.”<\/p>\n

As in the original film, Moana<\/em> follows the titular character (now played by Catherine Laga’aia) as she sets off across the sea to save her village. Along the way, she encounters new enemies, learns her own strength, and, of course, becomes besties with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson<\/a>).<\/p>\n

With Moana<\/em> now playing in theaters, check out all the live-action characters in the new film side by side with the animated originals below.<\/p>\n

01 of 11<\/p>\n

Catherine Laga’aia as Moana<\/h2>\n
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