Following the announcement thatMoanawill join the ranks of animatedDisneymovies getting live-action remakes, Auli’i Cravalho confirmed she will not reprise her titular role from the original film.
Set in ancient Polynesia,Disney’sMoanatells the story of a young girl who braves the forces of nature and beyond to save her people. The movie focuses not only focuses on Moana’s journey but also on her relationship with her family. As the daughter of the island’s chief, she already faces pressure from her father that strains their relationship. The movie stresses the importance of holding on to familial connections, and the necessity to explore yourself and be true to yourself.
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AlthoughMoanautilized a fewbig names like Dwayne Johnsonand Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cravalho was a fresh-faced actress. The movie rocketed her to fame, and she quickly became synonymous with the character she played. With that in mind, fans may have assumed that Cravalho would reprise the role in Disney’s live-action remake; however, the actress took to Instagram to clarify that while the role of Moana is very special to her, she will not take on the role for the live-action remake. “Aloha Mai Kakou,” she began. “As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, [a] live-action Moana is in the works, and you all have been waiting very patiently for updates. So, I’ve written a few things down. When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career. In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital [that] the cast accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell.” She then confirmed she will still be involved with the movie and finished by emphasizing how honored she is to offer another Pacific Island-descended actress the chance to take on the role.
Recasting characters for live-action remakes isn’t a new move for Disney.Beauty and the Beast,Mulan,The Jungle Book,Aladdin,andThe Lion Kingall featured different cast members than the original animated movies. Most recently, Disney’sThe Little Mermaidlive-action remakehas been the source of much controversy and conversation regarding Ariel’s recasting. With these films, there were decades between the animated and live-action movies, making recasting necessary, as the original cast members were either too old or had passed away. Although she’s twenty-two - six years older than Moana - Cravalho is still quite young and could have portrayed Moana.
It may be of some comfort to fans that Cravalho will still be involved inthe live-actionMoanaremake, even if she won’t lend her voice and image to the titular character. As stated in her Instagram video, Cravalho will be involved with the casting process, which makes it likely that whoever portrays Moana will not only be a good fit for the character but will be able to portray her in a way faithful to Cravalho’s performance. It’s still unclear if Disney will cast a more established actress for the role or if they will repeat the strategy with Cravalho and bring in another unestablished but talented actress. For now, fans must wait and see who will take up the mantle.
Moana(2016) is available to stream now on Disney Plus.
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