Disney's live-action "Moana," starring Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson, is due for digital release, and ahead of that Collider has shared an exclusive sneak peek focused on Rena Owen's casting as Gramma Tala. The featurette highlights a full-circle moment: Owen had originally auditioned for the role in the 2016 animated film but lost out to Rachel House after struggling to sing from sheet music, only to be recalled a decade later for the remake, where casting staff encouraged her to audition regardless of her reading of the notes.

Director Thomas Kail says he knew Owen was right for the part from the moment she arrived on set, while co-stars John Tui and Frankie Adams described her casting as especially significant given her decades-long career as a trailblazer for New Zealand actors, including roles in "Once Were Warriors" and "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones." The remake follows 2024's animated sequel "Moana 2," which passed $1 billion at the box office, and arrives roughly ten years after the original film's debut.