Top 10 Differences Between Moana Live Action and Animated

#10: Heihei’s Introduction

In the original film, we initially see Moana’s chicken companion passing by with a coconut on his head during the “Where You Are” musical number. Here, we’re introduced to Heihei a few minutes earlier. During Gramma Tala’s story about how Maui stole the Heart of Te Fiti, a chickling Heihei is seen wandering in the background, bursting in and scaring the little ones. Not a huge difference, but as we mentioned at the top of this video, Disney didn’t give us a ton to work with here. We’ll take whatever changes we can get!

#9: Little Moana Not as Little

Like the animated film, the remake opens with a young Moana eagerly listening to Tala’s tales and answering the call of the water before her overprotective father intervenes. The one difference is that this Moana seems slightly older. While it isn’t spelled out exactly how old Moana is in the first movie, she looks like a toddler no older than two. This is reflected in her limited vocabulary. In the remake, newcomer Emma Puahi-Shapazian first appears as Moana, who’s supposed to be closer to four years old. We guess that makes sense, as these scenes would’ve been harder to do with a two-year-old in live-action.

#8: Briefly Checking in with Dad

When Moana sets out on her journey, we don’t see her father again until the end, when they’re reunited. That is, except for a nightmare sequence. The remake gives Chief Tui one extra scene. While Moana is traveling across the ocean, we briefly cut to her father looking out at the sea with a concerned expression. There’s no dialogue, but it’s clear that he’s thinking about his daughter and what awaits on the horizon for his people. So, in case you were wondering what was going on back on Motunui, not a whole lot.

#7: The End of Tweeting

When the live-action “Moana” remake was announced, we all had the same thought: “They’re gonna have to cut the tweeting line, right?” Okay, maybe that’s not where all of our brains went. Still, it’s surreal to think that since the first film’s release, Twitter became X and tweeting became posting, although absolutely nobody calls it that except maybe Elon. Even in 2016, though, we kind of knew this joke would become dated sooner rather than later. Its removal was perhaps inescapable. As corny as the gag was, we still miss it, just as we miss the blue bird logo.

#6: Threatening to Burn the Boats

When Moana learns that her people were once voyagers, she confronts her father about the boats that he’s been hiding. The scene plays out pretty much as it did in the animated film, albeit with one change. The original sees Chief Tui preparing to burn the boats, ensuring that nobody will ever leave the island. He stops when Moana finds Gramma Tala’s cane, and a villager alerts them that she’s fallen ill. The remake skips over this exchange, cutting straight to the villager calling out to the Chief about his mother. Again, not a massive difference, but it does remove some of the escalating tension as Moana is pushed into a difficult position, having to set off on her own.

#5: No Sven Cameo

Maui uses his magic fish hook to transform into all the animals we’d expect, from a giant hawk to a shark head, although this one is of the hammerhead variety. One familiar animal is missing from Maui’s repertoire in the remake. When Maui gets his hook back, he’s out of practice. He can still take on the appearance of animals, just not the ones he intended. Trying to work out the bugs, he shipshapes into a variety of creatures. In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, he becomes Sven the Reindeer. Although this made for one of the funniest Easter eggs in the original, Sven doesn’t pop up here. We’ll just have to wait for the inevitable “Frozen” remake. Yay?

#4: Where’s Tamatoa’s Post-Credits Scene?

For a remake that essentially recreates its predecessor almost shot for shot and line for line, the filmmakers do cut one scene. And we really do mean just one. The first movie had a funny post-credits scene with Tamatoa the Giant Crab. Still on his back, Tamatoa breaks the fourth wall, throwing shade at Sebastian from “The Little Mermaid.” If you waited throughout the remake’s credits as we did, you didn’t get a Tamatoa stinger. Instead, we got a whole lot of… nothing. Maybe Disney simply didn’t have the budget for one more scene. The Rock’s wig couldn’t have come cheap.

#3: Bring Pua Next Time

If there was one minor issue with the 2016 film, it’s that the advertising heavily promoted Moana’s pet pig Pua, only for him to get left on the island while our heroine is on her quest. Thus, the remake corrects this oversight by… still leaving Pua behind. The 2026 version does add one line addressing the pig’s limited screen time, however. When Moana returns to Motunui, she’s greeted by her loved ones, including Pua, whom she says can come next time. She isn’t lying, as Pua does play a larger role in “Moana 2.” Oh gee, is Disney already thinking about remaking that sequel? Remaking a film that’s ten years old is one thing, but two years?! Seriously?!

#2: The Way Moana Drops Her Rock

“How Far I’ll Go” is another iconic number that the remake basically follows the same blueprint for. There’s a tweak that comes during a crucial moment, though, as Moana contemplates putting her rock atop her predecessors’. In the animated feature, Moana sets the rock down upon gazing out at the ocean, excitedly rushing out to it. Here, she abruptly drops her rock with a look of shock on her face, realizing that this isn’t where she’s meant to be. It may not seem like the most significant change, but it’s one of the remake’s few moments that offers a slightly different perspective, with Moana’s decision coming off as more sudden rather than having inspiration gradually pull her to the irresistible water.

#1: One New Song… Over the Credits

Typically, when Disney gives one of their animated musicals the live-action treatment, they’ll throw in a couple of new songs. “Moana” is no exception, although by a couple of new songs, we mean one… and it’s played over the end credits. Lin-Manuel Miranda returned to write “Along the Way.” Auli'i Cravalho, the OG Moana, also came back to perform the song with Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga'aia. Miranda approached the song as a conversation between the two Moanas. Cravalho saw the tune as a way of passing the torch to Laga'aia. Of course, that doesn’t mean Cravalho is leaving Moana behind. She’s expected to reprise her role in “Moana 3,” which we’re sure will also get a live-action remake we’ll be making a list for.

Let us know in the comments if you noticed any other differences, or if we got them all. In any case, told ya we’d get to ten!