Auli’i Cravalho is journeying beyond the reef when it comes to the live-action remake of Moana. According to the actress, she will not reprise her role as the film’s titular character because she feels it’s “really important” to “pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent” as she takes on a different role “behind the camera.”

In April 2023, Dwayne Johnson announced that Disney was making a live-action version of the 2016 animation — and that he would be rejoining the cast as demigod Maui. However, Cravalho — who originated the role of Moana — later revealed that she would not be returning alongside her former co-star.

“It feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest,” she recently told The Wrap. “I have been invited, and I exist in these beautiful AAPI spaces, Asian American Pacific Islander, and I am one of the few Pacific Islanders.”

She continued, “I’ll say it again, I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And our stories are so important to be told.”

While she won’t be starring as the beloved Disney character, Cravalho will still be an executive producer on the film. Having been born in Hawaii, the Mean Girls star noted that Pacific Islanders are not often represented accurately — and by taking on a behind-the-scenes role, she hopes to help authentically “tell our own stories.”

“I want to be behind the camera as much as I am in front of it,” she said. “When I talk about representation, I want to see the same thing happening in writers rooms. I want to see the same thing happening with directors. And Taika Waititi talks about this as well, I wanna see showrunners who are also of indigenous descent telling their own stories.”

Cravalho — who said she “cannot wait to meet the next Moana” — added, “If it has to start with me — I’m 23, but if it starts with me, so be it. I want that door to swing wide open.”

What can she say except, ‘You’re welcome.’ 

The live-action remake of Moana is set to hit theaters in June 2025. In the meantime, you can watch the original animated flick on Disney+.