Disney’s live-action Moana remake just got exciting thanks to the reveal of the film’s talented director. In April 2023, Disney announced that a remake of the 2016 animated hit Moana was in the works. Though no official release date has been given so far, Dwayne Johnson is set to reprise his role as Maui as well as serve as a producer on the project. Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced the titular character in 2016’s Moana, is also involved in the remake, serving as an executive producer.
Moana was somewhat of a passion project for Johnson, who detailed the reasons behind his love for the film in his live-action remake announcement video (via YouTube), but not everyone shared his enthusiasm for the new version. However, as more details emerge about the project, including the recent announcement about the film’s director, the Moana live-action remake becomes a more exciting prospect.
Hamilton’s Director Making Disney’s Live-Action Moana Makes It Exciting
Thomas Kail has been announced as the director for the Moana live-action remake. Kail is best known for his collaborations with Lin-Manuel Miranda, having directed both Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Hamilton and In The Heights. Kail also served as director and producer for Hamilton‘s filmed stage production released in 2020. His excellent work on both of these productions makes the live-action Moana remake a far more exciting and interesting prospect.
While Kail’s directing experience is primarily in theater, he’s proved his skill as a director of top-tier musicals. Hamilton is now considered one of the greatest musicals ever put to stage, in part due to Kail’s effective direction. If the magic and energy of Hamilton and In The Heights can be brought to the live-action Moana adaptation, the production stands a great chance of proving naysayers wrong and becoming one of Disney’s best live-action remakes to date.
Disney’s Live-Action Moana Remake Still Has Problems, But Will Be A Hit
Despite the current buzz, upon announcement in April 2023, the live-action Moana adaptation was met with criticism. It’s one in a growing list of live-action remakes produced by Disney, which cynics have denounced as a cash grab highlighting a lack of original ideas at the studio. Moana’s remake announcement came under particular scrutiny due to the fact that the original film isn’t even a decade old, having been released in 2016. Despite this, the new version of Moana will likely still be a hit.
Disney’s live-action remakes have proved to be big business for the studio. The most successful live-action Disney remake at the box office, 2019’s The Lion King, grossed $1.66 billion worldwide and the most recent remake, The Little Mermaid, has generated $225 million so far. These numbers indicate that the live-action Moana remake will likely be a hit for Disney – at least financially.
