Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Disney's live-action Moana had to honor one of the studio's most beloved animated films while creating something that could stand on its own. Director and executive producer Thomas Kail explains how his team approached that challenge, from preserving what audiences already love to finding new ways to tell the story.
In this exclusive interview, Kail discusses why the opening musical number "Where You Are" establishes the visual and emotional language of the entire film, the enormous technical challenge of filming on open water in Hawaii, and how different ocean environments were carefully designed throughout the movie. He also shares how more than 2,900 artists and crew members helped bring the production to life.
Kail also reveals how Disney's long-standing cultural trust guided every prop, costume, and piece of scenery, why traditional materials had to be reimagined for the realities of live-action filmmaking, and what it was like stepping onto the massive practical village set that made him feel like he wasn't on a movie set at all.
Chapters:
0:00 Thomas Kail on honoring Moana
0:35 Why "Where You Are" sets the film's rules
1:05 Filming on Hawaii's open water
1:54 The massive water tank challenge
2:31 How Disney's cultural trust shaped every detail
3:28 Recreating Moana's world with practical sets
4:01 Building a village that felt completely real
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Michael Zimmermann & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#moana #disney #collider
Disney's live-action Moana had to honor one of the studio's most beloved animated films while creating something that could stand on its own. Director and executive producer Thomas Kail explains how his team approached that challenge, from preserving what audiences already love to finding new ways to tell the story.
In this exclusive interview, Kail discusses why the opening musical number "Where You Are" establishes the visual and emotional language of the entire film, the enormous technical challenge of filming on open water in Hawaii, and how different ocean environments were carefully designed throughout the movie. He also shares how more than 2,900 artists and crew members helped bring the production to life.
Kail also reveals how Disney's long-standing cultural trust guided every prop, costume, and piece of scenery, why traditional materials had to be reimagined for the realities of live-action filmmaking, and what it was like stepping onto the massive practical village set that made him feel like he wasn't on a movie set at all.
Chapters:
0:00 Thomas Kail on honoring Moana
0:35 Why "Where You Are" sets the film's rules
1:05 Filming on Hawaii's open water
1:54 The massive water tank challenge
2:31 How Disney's cultural trust shaped every detail
3:28 Recreating Moana's world with practical sets
4:01 Building a village that felt completely real
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Michael Zimmermann & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#moana #disney #collider
