Disney animation boss says Moana is "almost like an action hero first," and the live-action movie brings a "human versus the elements angle"

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Disney's seafaring adventurer Moana will soon be making the jump from animation to live-action.

The first trailer for the new film arrived earlier this month, and it showcased Catherine Laga'aia's Moana riding the waves – and gave us a glimpse at Dwayne Johnson's Maui.

We recently sat down with Walt Disney Animation Studios' chief creative officer Jared Bush, who is also one of the writers on the original Moana movie, and we asked him what made this particular film the right candidate for live-action.

"Secretly, I've been able to visit that set. And I will say that there's something really amazing about it being this tangible place," Bush tells us when we meet to talk about Zootropolis 2 (Zootopia 2 in the US), which Bush co-directed.

"She's almost like an action hero first, more than anything else," Bush adds. "And so to see an actual 16 year old on the actual ocean, there's this really impressive human versus the elements angle to that, which I think people are going to really enjoy."

The animated Moana movie follows the titular protagonist on a journey across the ocean to return the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. She's accompanied along the way by demi-god Maui, who in the original film is voiced by Dwayne Johnson; Johnson is reprising his role in live-action for the new film.

Moana arrives on July 10, 2026, while Zootropolis 2 is out in cinemas this November 28 (November 26 in the US). You can keep up to date with everything else on the way with our guide to all the upcoming Disney movies.