Auli'i Cravalho just proved she's the coolest predecessor ever. According to E! News, the original voice of Moana sent Catherine Laga'aia a deeply personal email welcoming her to the franchise ahead of the live-action remake's July 10 release.
"I had gotten an email from Auli'i, which was so special, because this is her baby," the 19-year-old said in an exclusive interview with E! News. "This is what she made and she created."
For Laga'aia, that endorsement meant everything. "So to have the tick of approval, the OK from her to be able to step into this with her full support and pride behind me, I felt like every piece of the puzzle had lined up for me to take this into my own and step forward with it."
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson—who voices Maui in both the animated and live-action versions—also called her during the casting process.
"It was an American phone number," she recalled, thinking it might be spam. "But I heard it, and it was like, 'Aloha Katie,' and I was like, 'There's actually no way. There's no way.'"
Cravalho, now 25, is serving as a producer on the remake and will sing the new Lin-Manuel Miranda song "Along The Way" alongside Laga'aia and Johnson.
"Being able to pass the baton to Catherine is really important for me," Cravalho said. "To see her take on the life of this character is such a joy."
When the live-action Moana navigates the ocean on July 10, she will do it with the blessing of the original voice of the character.
