Original Moana Composer Expresses Excitement for Live-Action Remake, Teases Music Updates

Moana composer Mark Mancina shares his enthusiasm for the live-action remake, along with tips on what to expect from the music. Mancina was the composer of the original Moanawhere he wrote songs in collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i. The music for the Moana The live-action remake will also be composed by Mancina. Dwayne Johnson is reprising his role as Maui in the live-action film, while Catherine Laga'aia replaces Auli'i Cravalho as Moana. The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 10, 2026.

When speaking with Screen speech, Mancina revealed what he has done so far for the live-action film Moana and why he's excited about it. He spoke about the creative team involved, which includes director Thomas Kail, who was the director of the acclaimed Broadway musical. Hamilton. Mancina also shared whether new songs have been written yet and mentioned that there are details about the project that he is still waiting to learn. Check out their comments below:

I'm signed to do this, so I'm doing it. The only thing we've done so far is deliver the basic tracks of the songs so they can be filmed. Generally, I think it will be similar to the animated film, but [with] the music, again, I hope to make it more sophisticated. I would like to update it to make it more mine.

Of course, Opetaia now really has her vocal part and her choral part really dialed in, and the director who's doing it is the guy who did Hamilton with Lin, and so it could be a great team. Dwayne is the producer, so I think it could be great. I have high hopes for that. I'm looking forward to doing this.

I don't know. It's usually the same songs, but will there be new songs? I would think, but I don't know. We didn't write anything, but who knows?

What this means for live-action Moana

The franchise is returning to its musical roots

​​​​​One of the main criticisms Moana 2 criticism has been that the song is not as strong as its predecessor. This will probably not be a problem for MoanaThe live-action remake given Mancina and Foa'i's involvement and Mancina's explanation that “generally, it's the same songs” like the original film. The film directed by Kail, who directed the musical that became a phenomenon through Miranda's music, is also another promising sign.

THE live action Moanathe music from is about to have more in common with the music from the original film than the music in the sequence. Mancina's focus on making songs more “sophisticated” it creates the potential for the song to be even better this time around. His observations also reveal that the film is still in the early stages when it comes to music, though this isn't surprising given that filming took place throughout 2024, and there's still about a year and a half until the film's release. in cinemas.

The potential for new music is intriguing

While Moana 2The film's songs had their merits, they were generally not as memorable and impactful as the songs from the previous film. The live-action remake could make the franchise's music do what it does best. The potential for new music is also intriguing and creates yet another argument for the remake's existence, with new music providing elements that didn't exist in the original animated story. More than other upcoming films, the live-action Moana is already being scrutinized for his music.