How close are two 'Moana' stars as live-action film is released?

For Disney, the Moana franchise is a smashing hit. Now, as the studio has produced a live-action version of the beloved original movie, it has produced two Polynesian girls.

Though the character remains the same, it is now played by two actresses.

The first is Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, which became an instant hit and spawned a franchise.

But now, in the live-action, Catherine Laga’aia will play the beloved character.

So, when the film's New York premiere took place, Cravalho shed light on her equation with the new actress playing the role she portrayed in two films.

“I love being Moana, and I am Moana, and so is she," she said, adding that both of them forged a special tie.

"And we now share in the sisterhood of having a lifelong character that makes an impact for so many. It’s really nice to share that with someone,” the actress continued.

Not stopping there, Cravalho said of Laga’aia, "She worked so hard on this film, and she continues to represent her side of the world."

Though they came from different parts of the world, Moana still brought them together.

“She’s from Australia, and her family is Samoan. I’m from Hawaii; I’m Hawaiian. Like, our Moana ‘ohana’ [family] simply gets bigger, and that is amazing," Cravalho shared.

Moana is running in cinemas now.