Moana Movie Stars Welcomed to Sydney by Social Media Stars

The live action Moana recently premiered here in Australia, with stars Dwayne Johnson, who plays “Maui,” and Catherine Laga’aia, who plays “Moana,” making appearances.  Many people were invited to this event, but the attendees had a different type of experience in front of the camera. 

The 2026 live action film Moana had its premiere in Sydney, with a blue carpet for fan interaction, special live performances of the music of Moana, and exclusive advance footage from the film. A majority of the night was captured from different perspectives and shared online to their personal accounts.

In recent years, social media has become the main platform for promotion, rather than traditional media. That is why much of the night was promoted by social media influencers rather than on-screen actors. 

Some of these social media influencers were not only invited to the premiere night, they also had the opportunity to personally meet Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia through different meet and greets. This selection made by DisneyAUNZ included a criteria for people who belonged to a Polynesian culture, as they were able to deeply connect with the movie through culture and heritage, and created a strong emotional connection between the actors and the influencers. 

One social media influencer, known as havea_676 on his social media platforms, used this opportunity to host a Kava ceremony with Dwayne, Catherine and his daughter, which he was able to share online. This not only gave them the opportunity to ask the actors questions about the movie, but gave Havea the chance to show the public how the movie significantly reflects their culture.

Social media influencers “The Steedman Sisters” were also invited to meet Dwayne and Catherine at Bondi. The movie was promoted through a poster advertisement at Bondi Icebergs, which can be seen in the background of where their meet and greet photos were taken. 

The power of social media has taken over movie premieres. In attendance, many were exclusively invited to this event because they had a large social media presence. Many celebrities and on-screen actors weren’t seen at this event, making it more of an influencer event.

This shows the effect social media can have in promoting a product, service, or in this case a movie.

Written by Alyssa Attard, PR & Influencer Assistant @ InsideOut PR