{"id":1712,"date":"2026-06-23T05:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T05:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1712"},"modified":"2026-06-23T05:35:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T05:35:01","slug":"dwayne-johnson-catherine-lagaaia-on-polynesian-representation-in-live-action-moana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1712","title":{"rendered":"Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga\u2019aia on Polynesian representation in live-action \u2018Moana\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; During a sit-down interview weeks before the premiere of Disney\u2019s live-action remake of \u201cMoana,\u201d stars Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson and Catherine Laga\u2019aia talked about sharing their Polynesian heritage with the rest of the world. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1710\">Filmmaker shares love story about his hometown Lahaina<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Johnson, who reprised his role as the demigod Maui, said, \u201cI never experienced anything like this before, and I\u2019ve had the privilege of playing a lot of characters in the past, but the reason why this was different is, number one, it\u2019s our culture in real flesh and blood.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>From moviegoer to Maui<\/h2>\n<p>The latest installation of the Moana franchise stays true to the original, family-friendly cartoon comedy rich in island culture. <\/p>\n<p>Johnson recalled living in Hawaii during his youth and noticing a lack of Polynesian representation in film. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhen I was going to McKinley here, or Washington Middle School, I would skip school at least twice a week to go to the theater in Waikiki and we would just go watch movies,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBut I wasn\u2019t seeing myself on screen, and now, years later, we\u2019re seeing ourselves on screen in this global way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Newcomer describes \u2018insane experience\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Laga\u2019aia, a Hollywood newcomer portraying Moana, added, \u201cI think there was so much love for it (\u2018Moana\u2019) when it first came around, that it deserved its next chance in the sun, and Polynesia and the Pacific Islands in general were just so loved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1708\">Helping Hands initiative aims to deliver 3k backpacks to students in need<\/a><\/p>\n<p>When asked how it felt to have landed her breakthrough role, Laga\u2019aia replied, \u201cThis has been such an insane experience, to kind of step into kind of completely blind. I feel I\u2019m very much learning on the go&#8230; just trying to make sure that I\u2019m doing everything to the best of my ability.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Hawaii film industry shows signs of rebound<\/h2>\n<p>The anticipation for Moana, which was partially shot in Hawaii, comes as a measure to increase the state\u2019s film tax credit awaits a final decision from Gov. Josh Green. <\/p>\n<p>The governor\u2019s office has told HNN, \u201cThe governor will carefully review this bill and other legislation enrolled to him. Decisions relating to these bills will be released at the appropriate time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Former Hawaii state film commissioner Donne Dawson said, \u201cI think that lawmakers really get it for the first time, I think that they are interested in making Hawaii more attractive, making Hawaii more competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a lull for Hawaii\u2019s film industry, \u201cMoana\u201d is among several movies and TV shows recently produced in the islands, marking a rebound for show business.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1706\">Iolani volleyball standout Ainuu commits to top-ranked Texas<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The movie premieres on July 10.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dwayne Johnson and newcomer Catherine Laga\u2019aia say Disney\u2019s live-action \u201cMoana\u201d shares Polynesian culture globally; film partly shot in Hawaii, premieres July 10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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