It’s no secret that the folks at Disney are in their live-action remake era. From Aladdin to The Little Mermaid and even The Lion King, the production studio remains committed to (somewhat) reimagining their staple tales, with a real-life rendering of Moana serving as the next in the Disney pipeline.
While questions about the need for a remake so soon after the original Moana’s 2016 release run rampant, fans are nonetheless turning their attention to who might form the cast of the upcoming reboot. At this point, we do know that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — who voiced Maui in the original opposite Auliʻi Cravalho’s Moana — is involved in the remake.
In April, it was Johnson who revealed the existence of the film at a Disney Shareholders meeting, sharing his excitement around bringing Polynesian culture to the big screen once more. Aside from that announcement — which sees Moana join a long list of imminent live-action remakes from Snow White to Lilo & Stitch — details around the film’s broader cast remain unknown.
That, however, hasn’t stopped audiences from casting their votes as to who should portray the titular Moana, set will grace the screen in June of 2025. If fans are to be believed, the role should go to Zendaya, but just how accurate is this casting wish?
Could Zendaya play Moana in Disney’s live-action adaptation?
With Johnson’s role as Maui already in the bag, speculation quickly arose that Zendaya would take on Moana, thanks to a fan-made trailer that went viral in August. Boasting over five million views, the teaser splices together live-action footage of coastal islands and seascapes reminiscent of the original Moana, but carefully avoids showing too many shots of its non-existent stars.
Zendaya herself doesn’t even appear in the fan-made trailer, and her name is only mentioned in a title card toward the end of the clip. For his part, Johnson appears briefly, though his rendering appears to be the work of artificial intelligence. The caption of the video outlines that it is a “concept trailer,” so we can safely assume that at this point, Zendaya’s casting as Moana is more wishful thinking than an actual reality.
Zendaya herself also hasn’t confirmed the speculation, though her involvement in such a blockbuster would align with her previous roles in massive franchises like Dune and Spider-Man. In the more immediate future, Zendaya is set to appear opposite Josh O’Connor in Challengers, the latest film from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino.
While Zendaya’s role in Moana is at this stage unconfirmed, we do know that Auliʻi Cravalho will not reprise the character for a live-action remake. In May, the actress confirmed that while she won’t portray the princess, she is committed to finding the right fit for the role, and will serve as an executive producer for the Moana reboot.
In fact, quotes from Cravalho might actually disqualify Zendaya from the role. While we’re sure she has nothing against the Euphoria star, Cravalho has stated that she’s yielding the role specifically so another “young woman of Pacific Island descent” can step into it. Were the role to go to an actress from a different background, we imagine Cravalho — along with Johnson and a sea of supportive fans — would have something to say about it.
In lieu of Zendaya, actresses like Any Gabrielly and — most fittingly — Siena Agudong have been named among the speculative choices for the titular role. In any case, fans will have to wait some time for any official confirmation of Moana’s cast, with a release date set for June 27, 2025.
