Disney's live action 'Moana' sets August filming date

Dwayne Johnson confirmed production on Disney's live-action Moana will begin this August.

Johnson reprises his role from the animated film as demigod Maui, and is joined by Catherine Laga‘aia as Moana; John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother, Sina; and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. Filming will take place in Hawaii and Georgia, USA.

Moana is directed by Thomas Kail, who helmed Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+ and the first and last episodes of Hulu’s lauded limited series We Were the Lucky Ones. 

Producers are Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn via FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs, will also serve as producer. Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo., Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, and Charles Newirth.

Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller have been tapped for the screenplay. Bush, a veteran of Disney Animation, wrote the screenplay for 2016’s animated Moana and Miller is a Samoan writer who created Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue.

• 'Freaky Friday' sequel underway with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan