Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Moana has sparked major backlash online after fans accused the studio of making “racist” changes to the heroine’s appearance.
On Monday, November 17, Disney released a 59-second teaser on its YouTube channel, nearly a decade after the original 2016 animated classic.
Many viewers claimed the new actress bears little resemblance to the beloved character.
“I would have never guessed she was Moana if not for her telling us,” one critic wrote.
18-year-old Catherine Laga’aia has been cast in the lead role for the upcoming live-action film
Image credits: Disney
The teaser, which has already surpassed 4 million views, was largely CGI-heavy and focused primarily on announcing the film’s cast.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will reprise his role as the demigod Maui, whom he voiced in the original animated version.
Meanwhile, Catherine Laga’aia, daughter of New Zealand-Australian actor Jay Laga’aia, steps into the role of Moana, replacing actress Auli’i Cravalho.
Image credits: Alexei Hay
However, the casting choice did not go unnoticed. Many fans of the original film accused Disney of “racism,” calling out certain changes that quickly became a hot topic of discussion online.
“Coming from Disney, it’s definitely racism anyway.”
Disney blasted by disappointed fans over “miscasting” and “racism” in the teaser
Image credits: Disney/catherinelagaaia
One user on X, @Lfoolisz, expressed strong criticism by sharing side-by-side images comparing the animated Moana to the live-action version.
In both comparison images, the characters feature curly, voluminous hair similar to the original animation.
However, in the teaser, Catherine’s hair appeared noticeably less curly, styled more into loose waves than the frizzy curls fans expected.
Image credits: Walt Disney Animation Studios
The user wrote in the caption, “WHY THE F**K did they straighten the actress’s hair if Moana doesn’t have straight hair????”
He doubled down in the comments, adding, “first off because WHAT THE F**K are they making this movie for, right, but since they made it I gotta complain about other things…”
Despite Moana having tight, curly hair in the Oscar-nominated animation, Catherine’s version had a mix of straight strands and loose waves
Image credits: Lfoolisz
Another commentator agreed with the criticism, writing, “Moana who was supposed to be beautiful with her natural hair, they took the F**KING hair off her, so I say, do you SWEAR that Disney cares about representation?”
A third added, “Her being much prettier with her natural hair, how do they think that a person who lives on an ISLAND (beach, saltwater…), doesn’t even have electricity, is going to have her hair blow-dried like that?”
Image credits: Disney
Beyond the hair changes, viewers also raised concerns about Catherine’s casting, calling it “inaccurate” and a “missed opportunity” by Disney.
One critic remarked, “Shouldn’t Moana be white? It’s the Disney way. They made Snow white coloured…”
However, others quickly pushed back, pointing out that Moana is of Polynesian ethnicity, making the casting appropriate.
“Who the hell is in charge at Disney? My niece would’ve made a far better Moana,” one user wrote
Image credits: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images
“Moana is Polynesian they are not white. Cook Islands, Hawaiian, Māori etc are not white.”
This isn’t the first time the multinational media giant has faced backlash over its live-action remakes.
Earlier this year, Disney’s casting of actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White sparked major controversy, which critics say contributed to the film’s disastrous performance.
Image credits: Disney
The movie was labeled a massive flop, earning just a 2/10 rating on IMDb and struggling to sell theater tickets.
“The trailer looks significantly worse than its animated counterpart,” one disappointed viewer commented under the new teaser.
The live-action remake, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson alongside several new cast members, is set for release in July 2026
Image credits: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Even film critic Grace Randolph weighed in on the controversy, saying the teaser “feels like someone fed the original animated Moana into AI and said make it live action.”
Many viewers also criticized the heavy use of CGI, arguing that the teaser felt “inauthentic” despite being marketed as a live-action adaptation.
“We DO NOT need a Moana remake! The film is great as is, why does it need a remake? Because Disney needs more money?”
Image credits: Disney
The remake is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide on July 10 next year.
In addition to Johnson and Catherine, the cast includes John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.
Social media users were largely disappointed with the remake, with many labeling it a “cash grab”
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