'Moana' director explains why live-action simply not copy of 2016 original

As the Moana live-action is released, director Thomas Kail shares that the latest offering is different, if not wholly, from the beloved Disney original.

“You want to make sure you have a reason for being,” he told People at the film's Los Angeles premiere.

Kail, however, thought the 2016 animated film provided a base for everything, yet when the characters turned into humans, the level of emotion took the next stage.

“We trusted that story. We trusted those characters,” he continued.

“And we also knew by making it flesh and blood, something was going to change," the director added.

So, the difference between the original and live-action, in Kail's view, stemmed from real people's interaction.

"By having two people in conversation eye to eye, something transfers there that’s quite powerful," he said.

As an example, the filmmaker pointed to Catherine Laga'aia as Moana; her scenes of battling the ocean, in turn, lend an unexpected touch of realism and deliver a stronger emotional impact.

Kail further offered an insight into a few more differences in his making of Moana.

“So we wanted to ensure we had all of that comedy, all the entertainment,” he shared.

Despite the above features being similar, what stands apart, Kail said, is scope and scale.

“The scope and the scale of this movie, I think, feel quite different when you see it on a big screen with real people," he concluded.