Watching Disney’s Moana was a memorable moment for Catherine Laga’aia, who was only nine years old when the animation was released.
Now, she gets to step into the role she adored 10 years later in its live-action iteration, exclusively telling New Idea she feels like she’s grown up with Moana.
“It’s really cool seeing how things shift and change and what things stay the same in terms of Moana, but it’s really exciting to be able to celebrate her being a little bit older now,” she told us at the film’s Sydney premiere at the International Convention Centre.
“The last thing I’d want is for the Moana hype to die out. I’m 19 and feeling like her age again, so I’m really excited that we get to revamp and kick her up again.”
Her character is known for her tenacity and ambition, which the young star relates to and sees within herself.
“I feel like growing up with her, I idolised her, and made her a distant part of me. We’re one and the same now,” she continues.
The role marks her first time on a film set, and her desire to do her character proud is also shared by the film’s director, Thomas Kail, who spent three years working on the movie, slated for release on July 8.
“I think this is about someone who has a feeling inside of her and isn’t sure how to trust it and learns that sometimes that means going against what we’re supposed to do and go to a place we know that we belong,” he exclusively shares with New Idea.
And he has many people to thank for bringing it to life, with 2,944 people included in the film’s end credits.
“The fact that many people had work during a time when our industry is looking for stories to tell and the fact that we got to tell a story about Pacific Island culture is incredibly meaningful,” he shares with us.
Thankfully, the movie is out today (July 8) in cinemas! But if you want more Moana, you can also watch the two animated movies on Disney Plus.
