Disney’s live-action movieMoanawon’t see all the beloved animated film’s cast return.The upcoming musical adventure will follow the same story as 2016’s animated movieand will be the third installment in the franchise.Moana’slive-action remakeis scheduled to be released by Disney on August 13, 2025.
Previously, it was announced thatMoana’slive-action remake has castDwayne Johnson, who is set to reprise his role as the demi-god Maui. However, Auli’i Cravalho will not return as Moana, featuring instead as executive producer alongside Johnson.Catherine Laga’aia will portray the titular character in her film debut, and will be joined by John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen.
Now, in a recent interview withGoldDerby,Alan Tudyk, who voices Heihei in 2016’sMoana,has confirmed that he will not be returning for the live-action remake. He stated, “Heihei will be played by someone else,” adding that the character will be voiced by a yet-to-be-revealed female performer instead. Check out Tudyk’s light-hearted reaction below:
Everybody calls Heihei a chicken, even though he’s a rooster. So it’s about time they got an actress to put a little more ‘chick’ in the chicken.
Tudyk made it clear there were no hard feelings, as he’s aware that Disneylikes to maintain the difference between its animated films and their live-actioncounterparts, and “I do Disney animation.” Speaking of the live-action role, the star joked that “I bet the new Heihei has to do [mo-cap],” to which he stated “I’m a no to doing motion-capture for animals.”
What This Means For Moana’s Live-Action Movie
Tudyk has only ever featured in one live-action remake, and that was a last-minute role for the voice of Jafar’s parrot Iago in 2019’sAladdin.As the actor states, “I do Disney animation,” it makes sense that the studio would want someone differentto voice Heihei, asDisney wants to preserve the difference betweenMoana’sanimated and live-actionmovies.
Johnson is the outlier forMoana, as he is returning in his animated role. However, this is likely done to ensure there is a big name attached to the lead role, especially with the actor’s current popularity. Instead, there will be a different and reportedly female actor cast to voice Heihei, providing a fresh take.
Our Take On Alan Tudyk’s Recasting
With therelease ofMoana’slive-action remake less than one year away,excitement is increasing, especially following the animated movie’s recent sequel,Moana 2, which outgrossed the first film by earning $1 billion at the box office worldwide. Both Cravalho and Tudyk reprised their roles inMoana 2, which also featured Johnson.
With a prominent legacy in the franchise, it’s disheartening to see the original cast won’t be returning. However, it makes sense as Disney wants to make sureMoana’sremakeis different enough to be fresh, and Tudyk is too notable for his animated role. Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see who is cast as Heihei inMoana’slive-action remake.
