Disney has released a new Moana featurette focused on “Along The Way,” an original song created for the live-action adaptation.
The featurette goes behind the scenes of the new single, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Auliʻi Cravalho, Catherine Lagaʻaia and Dwayne Johnson. That combination gives the song a special emotional charge: Cravalho, the original animated voice of Moana, joins Lagaʻaia, the new live-action Moana, in a musical passing of the torch.
That idea feels especially fitting for Moana. The story has always been about legacy, identity and learning how to carry the voices of the past while still choosing your own path. “Along The Way” appears to lean directly into that theme, connecting the 2016 animated film with this new version rather than simply replacing one with the other.
Catherine Lagaʻaia leads the live-action film as Moana, the young wayfinder chosen by the ocean to help restore balance to her island. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, bringing the demigod back into the story in live-action form, while Auliʻi Cravalho remains involved as an executive producer. That makes this adaptation feel less like a clean reset and more like a continuation of the original film’s cultural and musical legacy.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s return also matters. His songwriting helped give the animated Moana some of Disney’s most memorable modern musical moments, and “Along The Way” gives the remake a chance to add something new rather than only recreate what audiences already know by heart.
For fans of Disney movies, this featurette is a sweet reminder that the live-action Moana is not only about visual spectacle, ocean adventure and Maui’s tattoos. It is also about music as inheritance — one performer, one character and one generation of fans handing the story forward to the next.
Moana opens only in theaters on July 10, 2026.
Video source: Walt Disney Studios
