With the release of “The Little Mermaid” live-action remake over the last weekend, it’s clear that Disney is still pushing hard for live-action redos of the studio’s most popular animated films. And the latest one to pick up developmental steam is “Moana,” which is being spearheaded by Dwayne Johnson, who is already announced as a producer on the film, as well as reprising his role of Maui from the animated version. Now, we finally know who is going to be behind the camera to bring live-action “Moana” to the big screen.
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According to THR, Thomas Kail has been hired to direct the live-action remake of “Moana” for Disney. Kail is probably best known as the filmmaker behind the “Hamilton” performance that was released on Disney+ a couple of years ago. He’s also the director of “Fosse/Verdon,” the acclaimed FX limited series. Now, he’s inheriting an incredibly high-profile gig that is expected to be another blockbuster for the Mouse House.
“Moana,” both the animated and live-action versions, tell the story of a young woman who defies her father and goes on a journey to return a relic to a goddess. Along the way, she teams up with the aforementioned Maui. Other than Dwayne Johnson, there aren’t any other actors expected to make the transition from voice acting to live-action. However, “Moana” voice actor Auli‘i Cravalho is expected to be on board this new version as an executive producer.
Jared Bush, who wrote the original film, is returning to script the remake, alongside Dana Ledoux Miller.
There’s no anticipated release date yet for “Moana,” but we know Disney has been banking on these live-action remakes over the past several years, so we can only assume the studio is hoping to get this one in front of cameras as soon as possible.