- Primary Subject: Auli’i Cravalho's involvement in the live-action Moana remake
- Key Update: This breaks down the official status of original star Auli’i Cravalho's involvement and whether she appears on screen in the remake.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 9, 2026
- Quick Answer: Auli’i Cravalho does not cameo in the live-action remake, choosing to pass the torch to new star Catherine Laga’aia, but she serves as executive producer.
One of the biggest questions that fans have is whether Auli’i Cravalho, who originally voiced Moana, has an appearance in the live-action remake of Moana.
Ten years after the original's release, the live-action adaptation of the modern animated classic is arriving in theaters with some of the creative team from the original involved. While Dwayne Johnson is reprising the role of Maui, newcomer actress Catherine Laga’aia is playing the titular character.
Some fans are wondering whether Cravalho still has an involvement in the live-action version.
Is Auli’i Cravalho Involved in the Moana Live-Action Remake?
Despite not reprising the role of Moana in the live-action remake, Auli’i Cravalho is still involved in the film as an executive producer and performed one of the songs in the soundtrack.
However, she did not make a cameo appearance in the film, as she wanted to pass the torch to Catherine Laga’aia without showing up.
"[There] was maybe very early on [talks for cameo appearance], but I think she also was quite intent on passing a torch. She really wanted this to be Catherine’s. So it was never a major conversation about that idea," director Thomas Kail told EW.
Cravalho's involvement as an executive producer helped shape the live-action remake and the casting for the role.
"There was never a time when we didn’t imagine it happening. That was our hope," Kail explained. "I was so aware, as we were stepping into this, there are two people who played Moana. One’s Auliʻi and one’s Catherine. That’s it in the whole world. What a perspective to offer, what a point of view that she carries."
Kail praised Cravalho's "generosity" on the project as she never brought up the idea of making a cameo appearance in the live-action film.
"She just said, ‘I’m available for anything that can be useful.’ ... So when the song idea emerged, it actually felt like the most natural expression of how to bring these two things together," he said.
What to Expect in the Moana Live-Action Remake
In Moana, Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure, Moana answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
The main cast includes Catherine Lagaʻaia, Dwayne Johnson, John Tui, Frankie Adams, Rena Owen, and Jemaine Clement.
The film is directed by Thomas Kail; produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, and Auliʻi Cravalho.
It is showing in theaters worldwide starting this week. It is also available in IMAX and other premium large formats.
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