"Found Her! Moana"... Director Reveals the Behind-the-Scenes of the 32,000-to-1 Competition

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Thomas Kail of the film "Moana" shared the behind-the-scenes story of finding the lead actress, Catherine Lagaia, amidst a 32,000-to-1 competition.

On the morning of the 29th, a video press conference for the Disney film "Moana" was held. Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Lagaia, and director Thomas Kail attended the conference.

The film "Moana" is an ocean adventure about Moana, a girl chosen by the sea, who sets sail for the unknown seas with the legendary hero Maui to save an island cursed. It is a live-action adaptation of the 2016 animated film "Moana."

Catherine Lagaia, a newcomer of Samoan descent, plays Moana, who embarks on a journey to find her destiny. Dwayne Johnson, who voiced Maui in the animated films "Moana" and "Moana 2," appears in person this time as the legendary hero Maui.

Catherine Lagaia was cast as the lead of the live-action film "Moana" after breaking through a 32,000-to-1 competition. As an actress from Polynesia (a collective term for more than 1,000 islands within the so-called "Polynesian Triangle" connecting Aotearoa, Rafah Nui, and Hawaii, a sub-region of Oceania), Catherine Lagaia said, "Through this work, I wanted to pay tribute to the 2016 animated film 'Moana.' Back then, a wonderful female character named Yeo Seong-eul (CEO) from Taeyang Island was well created, so I grew up watching such characters since I was young. Growing up seeing such a representative character made me grow into someone with a similar disposition to Moana. I admired Moana's boldness and curiosity, and I ended up having those traits myself. While acting, I wanted to emphasize those aspects."

Director Thomas Kail said, "I think Catherine only recently learned that she broke through a 32,000-to-1 competition. What I kept searching for while casting the lead of this work were qualities that are difficult to express through acting alone. They were things that were technically and emotionally challenging to portray. When I saw Catherine's first tape, I thought, 'Found her.'"

Director Kail added, "Catherine sang 'How Far I'll Go' and performed a scene. She sang well, but her emotional depth and storytelling ability were excellent. I felt that this actress understood Moana's emotions and longings. I sensed a feeling of being physically here but wanting to go beyond the reef. As soon as I saw her, I stood up from my chair and said, 'I think I've found Moana.' Dwayne Johnson was cast first, and we discussed casting together. To be Dwayne's partner, one must have that much presence. The moment Catherine entered the room, I nodded. As soon as I found Moana, we immediately began work on the project."

Meanwhile, "Moana" will be released on July 8.

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*This content was translated by AI.