Live-action Moana sets Disney+ date for 21 October
Moana is returning in a new form, and homes get it first.
The live-action Moana film will stream exclusively on Disney+ on 21 October, Deadline reported on 13 October. Live-action means real actors appear on screen, rather than animation. Exclusive means Disney+ is the only streaming home, so a subscription is needed to watch.
Catherine Lagaʻaia stars as Moana. She holds the title role and carries the story forward. Her casting puts a new performer at the centre of a familiar tale.
Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui. He reprises the role of the demigod, a character written as part human and part god. The pairing keeps Moana and Maui together at the heart of the film.
John Tui plays Chief Tui, according to Disney+. The casting was set out by Disney+ in its own guide to the film. It adds another named performer to the ensemble around the two leads.
The streaming launch follows strong viewing for the animated original. Disney+ says the animated Moana is the most-watched movie of all time on its service. The company puts global viewing at more than 1.5 billion hours streamed.
That number is a hours-viewed total. It adds together all the time spent watching by all viewers. It is the streamer’s own count, covering global use of Disney+, and it was carried in the Deadline report. The 13 October report is the latest published account of the release plan.
This kind of count is different from the television ratings many viewers know. Overnight ratings count who watched on the night. Consolidated ratings add catch-up viewing over several days. A streamer’s hours-viewed figure counts total time watched on the platform, and each method answers a different question.
For viewers, the practical point is simple. The new film will be available on demand from 21 October. On demand means you choose when to press play. There is no weekly slot to remember and no other streamer to check.
What makes this stand out is the link between past viewing and a new release. A long-running family favourite is being presented again with real performers in place of drawn characters. The names stay the same. The craft around them changes, from camera and costume to location crews who support a live shoot.
