Film - Moana 2026

Moana comes to life — Disney's live-action reimagining hits Cirencester

Directed by Thomas Kail (the Tony-winning mind behind Hamilton on stage and screen), this is Disney's live-action retelling of the 2016 animated film — same ocean, same story, entirely different texture. Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana, the chief's daughter from the Polynesian island of Motunui who answers the sea's call and sets out beyond the reef.

Dwayne Johnson returns as the demigod Maui, and the film leans into real locations, real faces, and the physical weight that animation can't quite carry. Reception has been mixed — some critics find it a faithful recreation that justifies itself, others feel it trails the original too closely — but at 115 minutes it's a proper sit-down adventure that holds kids and gives adults something to watch.

The Barn Theatre runs it as a Sunday morning screening, which makes it a relaxed, unhurried way to spend a few hours before the afternoon. Small venue, good sightlines, the kind of community cinema that doesn't take itself too seriously. Suitable for children old enough to follow a story, with enough going on visually to keep younger ones in their seats.

Sunday 16 August 2026 · The Barn Theatre, 5 Beeches Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1BN · 11am