Moana 2 Makes A Disney Live-Action Remake Decision Even Trickier To Pull Off

It was recently announced that Disney is working on Moana 2, and though this is exciting news for the beloved animated movie, one aspect of Moana 2’s production spells out potential trouble for another Disney project: the Moana live-action remake. Although the original Moana came out all the way back in 2016, Disney is only now taking on the film’s sequel and its live-action remake. Notably, Disney has been slowly working through its animated movie catalog and rebooting each film into a live-action adaptation. Apparently, Moana is next up on the list, coincidentally alongside the animated sequel.

This means trouble for Disney. While expectations for Moana 2 are going to be high, hopes for the Moana remake will be even higher. In the past, Disney’s live-action remakes have focused on its older films. Along with giving them live-action casts, Disney has also tweaked their stories to varied success. Now that they are tackling their newer movies, it is unclear just how many changes Disney will make, and whether they will be for the better or worse. And with the highly anticipated Moana 2 coming out alongside it, Disney is putting Moana’s reputation at stake.

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Auli’i Cravalho’s Moana 2 Return Makes Disney Recasting Moana In Live-Action More Difficult

What makes the Moana live-action remake even riskier is Disney’s casting decisions. Previously, Disney announced that Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson would be reprising his role as Maui in the live-action Moana, however, the original Moana actor, Auli’i Cravalho, was not asked back. Considering how beloved she became after playing Moana, this was an interesting choice. Now, that decision is proving to be even worse because Cravalho will be returning for Moana 2.

Since Moana 2 is coming out before the live-action Moana remake, Cravalho’s casting will be quite apparent. Audiences already know and love Cravalho as Moana, so when she returns in Moana 2, it will be satisfying. But then, in the very next year, the new Moana actress will appear in the live-action movie. Inevitably, the new actress will face heavy comparisons to Auli’i Cravalho, and if she does not live up to fans’ standards, it could ruin the entire remake. In this case, Disney fans’ passion could destroy the project just as much as it can help it.

Moana’s Live-Action Remake’s Returning Star Already Made Cravlaho’s Absence Odd

Another aspect of Moana’s live-action casting that made the situation more confusing and strange is that Dwayne Johnson was allowed to return to the live-action movie but Auli’i Cravalho was not. All these casting decisions, from Moana 2 to live-action Moana, raise a lot of questions for Disney. It seems unfair that the company would be willing to let Cravalho return as a voice actor but not in front of a camera, especially since Johnson is able to reprise his role. When Disney already had two perfect actors, it’s odd that they would keep one but let the other go.

To be fair though, there is the question of age. Because Maui is portrayed as an adult of indeterminate age, Dwayne Johnson could easily come on as he is and no one would question whether he was the right fit for the animated character. On the other hand, Moana’s age is not as flexible. Moana is supposed to be 16, and Auli’i Cravalho is 23. Though it would be possible for Cravalho to play Moana in the live-action movie, it would arguably be taking away an opportunity from another younger actor. In this way, casting Moana is a complicated situation.

Auli’i Cravalho’s Live-Action Role Will Help Moana’s Recasting

Although Auli’i Cravalho is not returning to play live-action Moana, the actress has not been totally outcast from the franchise. In fact, she was made a producer on the live-action Moana remake. While this is not the role audiences necessarily wanted her in, it certainly helps. Cravalho’s influence will still be present in the Moana reboot, and this could be a significant help when it comes to the new Moana. In this way, hope is not entirely lost when it comes to a new actress playing Moana.

While Disney’s recent decisions concerning Moana and its separate casts are a bit strange, the company has a way of remaining relevant, even despite its mistakes. Though audiences often have problems with Disney’s live-action remakes, they still tend to do well at the box office and add to Disney’s reputation. In this way, even with its strange choices, Moana 2 and the live-action Moana are likely to succeed in the coming years.