Dwayne Johnson is putting Disney’s live-action Moana in front of fans across several major markets before the film reaches U.S. theaters on July 10, 2026, turning the remake’s final pre-release stretch into a city-by-city promotional push built around Maui, music, and the franchise’s Pacific roots.
Johnson, who returns as Maui after voicing the character in the 2016 animated film and its 2024 sequel, shared that the live-action Moana tour was planned for nearly a year before starting in Hawaii on June 15. The route listed in his announcement includes Hawaii, Shanghai, Sydney, London, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo.
The tour gives Disney a broad stage for one of its major summer releases and places Johnson at the center of the rollout as a returning performer and producer.
Dwayne Johnson Opens the Moana Push From Hawaii
The first stop carries personal weight for Johnson, who has repeatedly tied Maui to his family history and Polynesian background. He has said publicly that the animated version of Maui was shaped in part by the image of his grandfather, Samoan professional wrestler Peter “High Chief” Maivia. That connection gives the live-action campaign a human-interest angle beyond a standard studio promotion.
Hawaii also gives the tour a setting closely tied to the cultural source material surrounding the franchise. Disney’s live-action version follows Moana, played by Catherine Lagaʻaia, as she answers the ocean’s call and travels beyond the reef of Motunui with Maui. Disney describes the film as an action-adventure live-action reimagining of the Oscar-nominated animated feature.
Johnson’s tour announcement presented the campaign as an unusually large undertaking in his career. That framing may help explain the wide route, which covers North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Pacific region. Publicly listed dates beyond Hawaii have not been fully detailed across every market, keeping each stop closely watched by fans.
The Fan Tour Route Gives Moana a Global Stage
The listed route points to a broad fan-facing rollout rather than a narrow domestic press cycle. Shanghai, Sydney, London, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo give the campaign a mix of media centers, tourist hubs, and family-film markets.
Sydney has drawn extra attention because Lagaʻaia, the new Moana, is Australian. Disney Australia lists the film for release in Australia and New Zealand on July 8, two days before the U.S. release. That earlier date gives the Sydney stop added attention.
London is also being supported by a separate Disney fan activation. Disney’s U.K. press office announced a free Moana Live-Action Movie Experience at Potters Fields Park on June 30, featuring a large recreation of Maui’s hook, props, music, workshops, food, and photo areas inspired by the film. The one-day event comes before the movie’s July 10 U.K. cinema release.
For U.S. audiences, the domestic stops in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York put Johnson and the film in three major entertainment markets before opening weekend. Puerto Rico’s inclusion adds another high-interest stop beyond the usual press corridor.
Disney Sets the Live-Action Moana Cast and Story
The live-action Moana stars Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana and Johnson as Maui, with John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. Thomas Kail directs the film, with Disney listing Johnson, Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda among the producers.
Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films, is listed as an executive producer. Her role keeps a link between the animated version and the new film, while Lagaʻaia’s casting introduces a new performer to a character already known to family audiences.
Disney’s official synopsis keeps the core journey from the original story intact. Moana leaves Motunui for the first time after receiving the ocean’s call and travels with Maui in an effort to restore prosperity to her people. The film is rated PG and positioned as an action-adventure release.
The studio has already released multiple video pieces for the film, including a final trailer, official trailer, teaser, and behind-the-scenes material. Those materials, combined with the fan tour, keep attention on the remake before July.
Why Dwayne Johnson’s Moana Tour Is Drawing Attention
The tour arrives as live-action remakes continue to receive close scrutiny from audiences who compare new versions with animated originals. For Moana, the gap between the 2016 animated film and the 2026 live-action release is only a decade, which may make side-by-side comparisons a major part of online discussion.
Johnson’s return as Maui is one of the clearest continuity points. Instead of a full recast of the animated feature’s central duo, Disney kept Johnson in the role while bringing in Lagaʻaia as Moana. That choice gives the campaign a familiar face for longtime fans and a new lead for the remake.
The promotional strategy also keeps the focus on live events. In an entertainment cycle where trailers can fade quickly online, a city tour gives Disney repeated moments to surface the film through red carpet appearances, local press, fan photos, and short-form video.
