The live-action ‘Moana’ is now in theaters
Credit: Disney (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Thomas Kail, who directed the new live-action Moana, reveals how it is different from its animated predecessor in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
- The original Moana was released in 2016
- The live-action film — starring Catherine Laga‘aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui — arrived in theaters on July 10
Thomas Kail, the director of the new live-action Moana, is revealing what makes his cinematic adaptation different from the 2016 animated original.
Kail, who previously directed Broadway productions of Hamilton and In the Heights, tells PEOPLE exclusively that when moviegoers go to see the live-action Moana, which was released in theaters on Friday, July 10, there will be some key differences, but it will overall stick to the heart of the original.
“You wanna make sure you have a reason for being,” the director, 49, said at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie, adding that the animated original is “gorgeous” and the reason “why we’re here.”
“We trusted that story. We trusted those characters,” Kail continued of the original Moana’s impact on his reimagined version. “And we also knew by making it flesh and blood, something was gonna change.”
“By having two people in conversation eye to eye, something transfers there that’s quite powerful,” he added.
Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Kail then elaborated on some of the differences in his creation.
“So we wanted to ensure we had all of that comedy, all the entertainment,” he said. “The scope and the scale of this movie, I think, feels quite different when you see it on a big screen with real people.”
Credit: courtesy of Disney
The filmmaker referenced titular star Catherine Laga‘aia and Rena Owen, who plays Gramma Tala, as key examples to drive home his point.
“When you see an actual 17-year-old in the middle of the water, that feels a little different,” he said. “And I think a lot of the emotional moments play quite differently. When Gramma says goodbye, and it’s Rena Owen, you feel something, and that’s what I wanted to capture.”
During the L.A. premiere, Kail also told PEOPLE about seeing the animated version for the first time 10 years ago.
“Oh, I loved the original film. I bought a ticket that first weekend and saw it Saturday morning with a whole lot of people who were very happy,” the director of on-screen and off-screen projects said. “And, you know, I love musical storytelling. I love making musicals. I love things that give a chance to discover. And I think Catherine [who is 19 now] is a total discovery.”
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Discussimh Dwayne Johnson being cast as Maui — a role he originated in the animated Moana — Kail said, “You know, Dwayne was someone I’d admired for a long time, and the fact that he said, ‘I wanna be the first person in history to go and do this in animation and then live-action,’ I thought, ‘All right, let’s give it a crack.’ ”
“He believed in it that way … It was a joy to work with him,” continued the filmmaker.
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The Tony Award-winning director previously told PEOPLE that during filming of the live-action Moana, he brought his wife, actress Michelle Williams, and their four kids to Hawaii to be on set.
“That was the first time they’ve ever been to work with me,” Kail explained. “I mean, it was incredible.”
The live-action Moana is now in theaters.
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