The live-action Moana remake, which is a bit of a head-scratcher given how ‘recent’ the original 2016 animated movie still feels, is moving forward and has now found its leading lady.
The chosen actress is Catherine Laga’aia, Disney has confirmed (via Variety). She’ll be joining Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who’s reprising his role of the demigod Maui from the two animated movies.
“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,” the 17-year-old said when the news broke.
