It is not easy to sell a fairytale in the 21st century. In an age when princesses are no longer the aspirational figures they once were, coming-of-age stories have had to adapt. Disney was early to grasp this with its animated titles. Films like Pocahontas, Moana, and Brave presented more confident and evolved ideas of the aspirational princess characters. And now, as Moana arrives in live-action, the need to make this story more contemporary is even more urgent. The film’s stars Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Lagaʻaia talk about how the film aims to achieve that.
‘Not a princess, but a warrior’
Moana sees Dwayne Johnson reprise his role as the demigod Maui. The action star famously voiced the character in the 2016 animated version, which grossed over $687 million worldwide. In the live-action version, he plays the character again and also serves as a producer. What Moana did differently, much like Brave, was to present a warrior as a heroine.
Summing up the character at CinemaCon, Dwayne said, “The hero of our story is not a princess, she’s a warrior.” At another juncture, while talking about the resonance of the story, he added, “Our values of Polynesian culture and community are not just specific to us; they’re universal. Everyone can relate to the young girl or young boy who wants more out of life.”
Moana for the Gen Alpha
The era of Gen Z is passing too, and rather quickly, it seems. Today, the chief consumers of Disney content are Gen Alpha, those born after the advent of smartphones and social media. This no-nonsense generation has grown up in times with shorter attention spans, and to engage them, one needs to be smart, genuine, and most importantly, authentic. That is where casting matters. The live-action Moana introduces 19-year-old Catherine Lagaʻaia in the titular role. An Australian actor of Samoan heritage, Catherine is authentic for the part. She made her way to the role by winning an audition that saw more than 32,000 hopefuls. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I feel like I’ve learned as much about myself as Moana did herself on her journey.”
Beyond the adventure, Catherine says it is Moana’s compassion that has stayed with her the most. During a recent red-carpet appearance, she shared, “I think something I learnt from Moana is being compassionate and empathetic when times are hard for you. I think something that Moana does beautifully is that when she’s really struggling, and things are getting difficult for her, she doesn’t go to anger or aggression; she goes straight to her compassion and empathy, from which she really works herself. That’s such an incredible skill to have. I am trying to learn them.”
Disney’s live-action Moana releases in India in English and Hindi on 10 July.