The upcoming Moana remake could introduce the best live-action Disney princess yet. The daughter of Motunui's chief is unique among the House of Mouse royalty in that she is the hero of her own story. Her home and people valued hard work, and Moana demonstrated this through her ability to climb and leap across her island (and later the ships of pirate coconuts). This is a skill that must be translated to the live-action remake, which means some careful casting.
As one of Disney's newer Princess movies, Moana was among the last that fans expected to see a live-action adaptation. However, Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to announce that the movie was in the early stages of production and that he would be reprising his role of Maui. This was exciting news, but much remains to learn about the upcoming film, including who will be cast as the titular Moana. The choice will be difficult, but all should be well if Disney leans into the qualities that made the princess great.
Moana’s Gymnastics Makes Her Perfect For Live-Action
While other Disney Princesses were at the center of a romance, Moana was something of an action star. She flipped around rafters, climbed the mountainous entrance to the Realm of Monsters (keeping up with a demi-god), and tumbled across the decks of pirate ships. The animated film reflected these abilities in Moana's physique as well - her muscular build showed that Moana of Motunui was not someone who depended on the strength of others.
This is one of the most remarkable aspects of Moana's character, which means that the live-action remake needs to ensure that it is represented - and hopefully take it a few steps further. The only other Disney Princess remake that allowed for this amount of action from the heroine is Mulan. Unfortunately, this film altered the character and plot from the original so much that it was hardly recognizable. Now, the Moana remake will have the opportunity to create an action-packed live-action movie that reflects the story audiences already know and love.
Disney Should Prioritize Athleticism In Its Live-Action Moana Casting
Of course, this kind of athleticism won't make casting easy. It would be simple enough to hire any actress and a stunt double to pull off the higher-action scenes, but that would be a disservice to Moana's character. The fact that she is such a badass is what the live-action remake needs to steer into, and casting an actress who performs her own stunts would make Moana that much better. She would be a strong role model for young girls, as well as altogether more fun to watch on the big screen.
Just like Aladdin found an actor with a background in parkour and dance for its street thief protagonist, Moana needs to look for its star in the world of gymnastics or martial arts. Of course, this narrows the casting pool drastically. The live-action remake will need an actress with ancestry from the various islands of the Pacific Ocean, singing ability, gymnastics - and of course - acting chops. Not all these boxes will likely be checked, and Moana's athleticism is at the bottom of the list. However, the Moana remake would be all the better if it could find this one actress in a million.