Moana (2026)

An elder woman uses a sheet of tapa cloth to tell a creation story to a circle of children on a moonlit beach. She traces images of a verdant mother island called Te Fiti, and of a small, spiral-carved green gem that rests within Te Fiti's chest and gives her the power to create life and to birth islands. The elder narrates how a boastful demigod named Maui covets that gem and braves Te Fiti to seize it; Maui wrests the heart away using a massive, magical fish hook he claims was given to him by the gods. As Maui flees across the ocean, a volcanic, molten figure rises from the deep: a living eruption called Te Kā. A titanic battle erupts between Maui and Te Kā; Maui strikes and dodges, but Te Kā's fiery onslaught overwhelms him. In the struggle Maui loses his enchanted hook and the spiral heart slips from his grasp, plummeting into the black water. Te Fiti's form collapses and rots; darkness and decay begin to spread across the sea. The elder ends the tale with a warning: the land and water will continue to rot until someone restores Te Fiti's heart, and until that person works with Maui and confronts the fire that hunts the gem.

One of the children listening is a wide-eyed toddler named Moana. When the story concludes, the island's chief arrives to settle the youngsters and to hush talk of monsters and voyages beyond the reef. The chief, Moana's father, speaks in firm tones about safety and about never leaving the reef's protective barrier. In the confusion of adults and children, Moana slips away to the shoreline. She finds a tiny sea turtle tangled and panicked among birds on the sand; she scoops up a broad leaf and shields the hatchling from the frigate birds until it clumsily reaches the waves and slips home. While she watches the water, it ripples and reaches toward her in a way that looks almost deliberate. Moana stoops and picks up a smooth green stone that pulses faintly with light. Her father calls her and, as he takes her back to the village, the ocean carries her on a driftwood raft and then returns to the shore alone, the glowing stone missing from her hand. Moana's mother tells her that great things await her, that she will lead their people one day. Moana learns to accept the responsibilities expected of her, but the call of the waves never leaves her.

As Moana grows, villagers show her how to repair roofs, how to tend taro, how to teach the children the dances and chants that mark their lineage. Her father Chief Tui shows her the island's high stone stack, telling her that one day she will add a stone of her own and lead their people. Still, when the fishermen return with empty nets and the coconut groves fail to produce, Moana looks at the reef and wonders why the sea, which once gave so much, now seems to deny them. Her father refuses to allow boats beyond the reef; he tells Moana that an old disaster left him afraid to lose any more lives. Her mother gently urges Moana to follow her heart even as she prepares Moana to shoulder the chief's duties. Moana learns to weigh duty against desire but grows increasingly drawn to the horizon.

Late one night, Moana can no longer sit still. She steals a canoe and takes her pet pig to the water's edge, and the ocean lifts her out past the reef in a way that feels like invitation. Her first voyage ends in a near-capsize as powerful waves buffet the small craft and toss the pig overboard. Moana wrestles with the oars and with fear, and at the same moment her grandmother arrives. The elder, known as Gramma Tala, laughs and scolds and then quietly shows Moana something she has kept hidden: a cavern of time-darkened canoes, their sails furled, a secret fleet that proves the islanders were once voyagers who explored distant seas. Tala tells Moana that after Maui stole the heart, voyaging stopped and the islanders retreated behind the reef. Tala then reveals an object Moana thought she had lost years before: the small green spiral that the ocean once gifted her. Tala tells Moana that the ocean chose her and that the village needs her to find Maui and return the heart to Te Fiti. Against her father's orders, Moana vows to sail beyond the reef.

Before she can leave, the village is stunned by Gramma Tala's sudden collapse. The elder loses consciousness and dies in the presence of her family and of Moana. No one takes a life from Tala; she dies of old age and of the quiet failing of a body that has long carried its own knowledge and burdens. The island holds a traditional ceremony for her; Moana mourns openly and refuses to be consoled. In the hours that follow, Tala's death becomes a turning point: villagers sing and carry Tala's body to the shore, and in the dark Moana finds the heart that Tala entrusted to her hidden again in the cave. The ocean, as if sensing Tala's passing and the urgency of the elder's message, parts and guides Moana's canoe out through a slit in the reef. Moana leaves Motonui with grief in her eyes and resolve in her hands; she rows toward the open sea to find Maui and to bring Te Fiti's heart home.

Moana's first nights at sea test her seamanship and her nerve. The ocean sends ripples that both help and hinder; currents swing her canoe near jagged coral and then lift her past swells. She sails to an island where a larger-than-life figure lounges on a sun-bleached shore: Maui, a broad-shouldered demigod whose body is covered in animated tattoos. Maui brags about the feats he has performed for humankind -- how he pulled islands from the sea and gave fire to mortals -- and he scoffs at Moana's quest. When she reveals the small spiral gem, Maui's face shifts. He remembers the heart he once stole and lost to the sea. At first he refuses to help: he wants recognition and longing in return for any favor. Moana refuses to give up the gem or the mission, and a series of arguments and negotiations follow. Maui demonstrates charisma and hubris, while Moana keeps returning to the main point: Te Fiti is dying and only the heart will stop the rot.

Moana persuades Maui to sail with her by casting her words and actions with a steady, stubborn firmness rather than by cajoling. They push back into the ocean together. Maui begins to teach Moana to steer the great ocean currents, to read the currents and the stars, and to trust the water beneath her. He shows her how to take a long view, how to read bird patterns and cloud shapes. Moana soaks up these lessons and with them her competence at sea grows. The pair wind their way across reefs and shoals, chase horizons and avoid whirlpools. Their partnership is uneasy at first: Maui bristles at being told what to do, and Moana bristles at the demigod's vanity and at the way he has abandoned people who once praised him.

On a stretch of open sea their voyage is interrupted by an ambush from a flotilla of tiny, armored pirates who call themselves the Kakamora. The Kakamora burst from a reef in coconut-shell armor, boarding Moana's canoe with shrill cries and crude spears. They are fierce in their own way -- little bands that swarm like hornets. Maui shapeshifts with his remaining powers and flings the pirates aside with exaggerated bursts of size and strength; Moana hurls the heart down below deck to keep it safe while she climbs toward the Kakamora captain. In the scuffle the coconut-armored pirates manage to seize the heart and clamber aboard a raft shaped like a shell. Moana leaps, scrambles across wet planks, and fights the captain hand-to-hand, wrenching the green stone back from under the captain's grasp. The Kakamora's armor cracks and their wooden weapons break against Moana's resolve. When the dust settles, the pirates float away, their craft battered and their leader defeated. Moana returns the heart to a secure place and the two sailors -- demigod and island girl -- continue their course.

Maui's lessons intensify. He shows Moana how to throw her weight into the paddle and how to read a wave's face so that she can work with it rather than against it. He teaches her how to carve stars into memory, to orient herself across endless water. As Moana's confidence grows, Maui confesses fragments of his own history: he admits why he stole the heart long ago -- to give gifts and blessings to people, and to be admired for what he could do. He also admits the cost: when Te Kā rose, Maui lost his best weapon and his pride. The pair debate what it means to be a hero and how to fix what has been broken. The ocean remains an active presence; it occasionally nudges the canoe and sometimes rescues Moana from a near-submerged fate.

The voyagers reach the place where Te Fiti once lay, a fog-shrouded island rimmed with jagged black stone and steaming vents. Lava and red-hot cliffs frame an open basin where a face of living fire, Te Kā, stands guard. Maui leaps forward to fight; he draws the attention of the molten form and engages in a brutal, acrobatic clash. He uses the leftover remnants of his demigod abilities -- quick bursts of power and shape-shifting that rely on the psychological sway he hopes to regain. Maui hurls himself at Te Kā, aiming to distract the creature long enough for Moana to slip by and plant the spiral into Te Fiti's chest. Despite his bravado, Maui finds Te Kā's fury overwhelming. Te Kā lashes out with molten spikes and a rolling sea of flame, and Maui's blows bounce off or are countered. The demigod is struck and thrown; his confidence cracks as he realizes how much power he once possessed and how far removed he is from those feats now.

Moana rows for shore amid the chaos and the spume of heat. She steps onto blackened sand and pushes toward Te Kā, who twists and lunges and shrieks with the sound of collapsing volcanoes. Moana holds the slender spiral in her hand and moves forward, but every time she draws near Te Kā recoils and strikes, lashing out with fire and molten limbs. Moana backs away, but then notices something that changes everything: the great molten form has a cracked, scarred chest. In that fissure, the outline of the spiral gem fits like a missing tooth. The realization arrives hard and simple -- Te Kā is not only a monster but the mother island rendered furious and human-sized by the theft of her heart. Moana understands that the creature's rage stems from loss, not from malice alone.

Moana steps into Te Kā's path again and again, weaving between bursts of heat. She does not try to smother the creature with blades or to outfight it; she negotiates instead with her movements. Each time Te Kā charges, Moana dodges and then closes the distance, fingertip stretching toward the hollow in the molten chest. Te Kā rears back and tries to seize her in a curtain of lava, but Moana times her approach with a calm that comes from both grief and clarity. When Moana reaches the opening in Te Kā's chest, she slides the spiral gently into place. The gem clicks home and the open wound that has scorched the earth begins to glow; a warmth spreads outward. Te Kā convulses, and for a moment Moana thinks the fiery figure will swallow her whole. Instead the heat begins to cool. The lava lines retract and fold like fabric, and the molten face softens, reshaping into natural contours. The anger ebbs into a deep, exhausted calm, and the blackened cinder flakes peel away like a discarded mask. Where Te Kā stands, a green island breathes, rolling out waves of new life; the mother island returns: Te Fiti.

When Te Fiti re-forms, the entire area shifts. Trees push up through ash and ferns unfurl across the volcanic slopes. The ocean's surface smooths and the black smoke recedes. Moana staggers back, wet and singed but alive. She watches as Maui crawls from the debris of his fight, chastened and surprised. The demigod approaches the new island with a mixture of remorse and relief. Te Fiti does not attack him; instead, the island's presence accepts both apology and return. Maui bows his head and a new sense of humility settles on him. Moana stands nearby, heart beating against her ribs, and she feels the grief for her grandmother lift in small increments as the world around her heals.

After Te Fiti reforms, Moana and Maui acknowledge what they have changed. Maui receives a measure of forgiveness; the demigod's longing for adoration is not erased, but his understanding deepens. Moana, having placed the heart back where it belongs, prepares to leave the island and to return to Motonui. The ocean carries her canoe home; on the voyage back she traces the stars she already remembers and thinks of the secret canoes under the cliffs. On Motonui the villagers watch as their paled groves and empty nets begin to recover: fish return, palms bear fruit, and the reef glitters again. The island's people gather on the high stone stack to welcome Moana home. She carries with her a steadier gait and a way of looking outward that is less full of questioning and more full of direction.

Moa­na's community welcomes her, and the island elders place for her the stone she had longed to add. She climbs the sacred stack and sets her own hand-sized rock on top of the others, claiming the responsibility that her father had planned for her all along. She tells the fishermen that they will take the boats beyond the reef again, and she opens the hidden caverns of her ancestors so the islanders can reclaim a history of voyaging. Maui departs to continue roaming but with a changed center; he does not vanish as a paragon, but as a complicated figure who has learned something about repair. Gramma Tala remains dead in the island's memory; no one killed her, and her body rests in the place of the island's rites. Her voice, however, persists in the ocean's push and the whispering of the waves, and Moana sometimes feels the elder's presence when she stands at the prow of a canoe.

In the final moments Moana stands at the bow of a newly rebuilt voyaging canoe as the sun lifts over the open water. The islanders push off from the sand and, guided by stars and by Moana's hand, they pilot into the wide blue. Children and elders both watch the line of sails grow small against the horizon while Moana looks out toward distant islands and toward futures she can now lead others to find. The camera lingers on the bright line where sea meets sky, and Moana, wearing her grandmother's quiet conviction, turns her face to the wind and to whatever comes next. There are no other deaths to record among the principal characters of this story; the loss of Gramma Tala is the lone, named passing, and she dies of natural causes before Moana's voyage begins. The tale ends with Moana installed as a leader who has returned Te Fiti's heart and reopened the way across the ocean for her people, the reef no longer a barrier but a beginning.

The ending of the 2026 live-action film Moana concludes with Moana successfully restoring the heart of Te Fiti, which revives the island and its people, and Maui accepting his role as a hero. Moana returns to her island as a leader, having embraced her identity and destiny.

In a detailed narrative of the ending, the story unfolds as follows:

Moana and Maui reach the island of Te Fiti after a perilous ocean journey. The island, once vibrant and full of life, is now a barren land due to the stolen heart. Moana approaches the volcano where Te Fiti's heart was taken, carrying the glowing heart in her hands. Maui, who has struggled with his own insecurities and past mistakes, stands beside her, ready to help.

As Moana places the heart back into the island's core, the island begins to transform. Lush greenery spreads rapidly, flowers bloom, and the ocean around the island calms. The restoration symbolizes the healing of the natural world and the balance between humans and nature.

During this moment, Maui confronts the lava monster Te Kā, who had been terrorizing the seas. Moana realizes that Te Kā is actually Te Fiti without her heart, corrupted and angry. She bravely approaches Te Kā, showing compassion and understanding rather than fear or aggression. This act calms Te Kā, who then transforms back into the benevolent goddess Te Fiti.

With the island restored, Moana and Maui share a moment of mutual respect and friendship. Maui acknowledges Moana's bravery and leadership, and Moana embraces her role as the future chief of Motunui. The ocean, which had called Moana to adventure, now seems to recognize her as a true wayfinder and protector.

The film closes with Moana returning to her island, where her people welcome her as a hero. She stands confidently, ready to lead her people into a new era of exploration and harmony with the ocean. Maui departs, continuing his own journey but forever changed by his partnership with Moana.

The fates of the main characters at the end are:

• Moana: Fully embraces her identity as a leader and wayfinder, having restored balance to her world.
• Maui: Redeemed and accepted as a hero, continuing his adventures with a renewed sense of purpose.
• Te Fiti/Te Kā: Restored to her true form, symbolizing the healing of nature.
• Moana's people: Rejuvenated and hopeful, ready to thrive under Moana's guidance.

This ending highlights themes of courage, restoration, and the importance of understanding and respecting nature and heritage. It also emphasizes Moana's growth from a curious girl into a confident leader who bridges the human and natural worlds.

In the 2026 live-action film Moana, no main characters permanently die during the story. However, in the sequel Moana 2 (which is part of the same franchise but separate from the 2026 film), Moana experiences a momentary death. She is struck by lightning and killed momentarily while breaking a curse on the island of Motefetu. Her ancestors and the ocean spirits then restore her to life, transforming her into a demigod with powers similar to Maui's, effectively granting her a form of immortality.

Regarding the original 2026 Moana film itself, there is no confirmed death of any main character. The cast includes Moana, Maui, Chief Tui (Moana's father), Sina (Moana's mother), and Gramma Tala (Moana's grandmother). In the 2016 animated film, Gramma Tala dies of illness, but there is no indication that this event is altered or expanded upon with character deaths in the 2026 live-action adaptation.

There is a fan theory related to the original Moana story suggesting Moana might have died early in her journey and that much of the film takes place in an afterlife, but this is speculative and not confirmed by the film's creators or official sources.

In summary:

• No main characters die in the 2026 live-action Moana film.
• In the sequel Moana 2, Moana dies momentarily but is resurrected and transformed into a demigod.
• Gramma Tala's death by illness is part of the backstory but not depicted as a new event in the 2026 film.

No other character deaths or their circumstances are detailed for the 2026 film.

The movie Moana produced in 2026 (actually the sequel Moana 2 released in 2024) does have a mid-credits scene, but not a post-credits scene after all credits have finished. This mid-credits scene is important for setting up future storylines and a potential third movie.

In the mid-credits scene, the character Matangi, initially an antagonist, is shown imprisoned and under the control of the villainous storm god Nalo. Nalo reveals that despite Moana and Maui defeating him in the main story, this is only the beginning of his plans for revenge. He threatens to go after Moana and Maui for defying him. Then Tamatoa, the shiny crab villain from the original Moana, appears with his shell now completely gone, indicating he is also out for revenge. Tamatoa humorously offers to sing a new song as the credits continue to roll. This scene highlights the ongoing threat from Nalo and Tamatoa and sets up the next challenges for Moana and Maui.

In summary, Moana 2 ends on a triumphant note with Moana's adventure, but the mid-credits scene introduces the dark edge of the villains Nalo and Tamatoa, teasing future conflicts without a separate post-credits scene after all credits.

The 2026 movie Moana is generally family friendly and rated PG, suitable for most children with parental guidance recommended for younger or sensitive viewers. It contains some peril, mild violence, and scary images such as battles with creatures, darkness, fire, and intense moments involving gods and monsters, which might be unsettling for very young children or those sensitive to suspense and fantasy threats. There are no strong language, sexual content, or substance use. Emotional themes include grief and loss, which may be upsetting for some children. Bright flashing lights and dramatic scenes could also be a trigger for sensitive kids. Overall, it is comparable in tone and content to the original 2016 animated Moana and similar Disney adventure films, making it appropriate for children aged 6 and older with parental discretion advised for younger viewers.