{"id":6314,"date":"2026-07-11T20:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T19:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/?p=6314"},"modified":"2026-07-10T15:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T14:27:19","slug":"the-unexpected-reason-disney-swapped-hawaii-for-atlanta-while-filming-live-action-moana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/07\/11\/the-unexpected-reason-disney-swapped-hawaii-for-atlanta-while-filming-live-action-moana\/","title":{"rendered":"The unexpected reason Disney swapped Hawaii for Atlanta while filming live-action Moana"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disney\u2019s live-action Moana<\/a> might look like it was filmed entirely across the Pacific, but a surprising amount of the movie was actually shot thousands of miles away in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the remake makes the most of Hawaii\u2019s stunning landscapes, production was split between real island locations and purpose-built studios in Georgia, where some of the film\u2019s biggest and most technically complicated scenes were brought to life.<\/p>\n

Much of the on-location filming Tok place on Oahu\u2019s west coast. The area\u2019s ocean views made it the perfect backdrop for a story rooted in Polynesian culture, while avoiding the more built-up tourist areas around Waikiki.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite Hawaii providing the film\u2019s authentic island setting, a huge chunk of production happened over 4,000 miles away in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

The studio work was based at Trilith Studios, where Disney recreated large-scale village environments and filmed many of the more technically demanding ocean sequences that would have been difficult to shoot on location.<\/p>\n

The reason for the move is actually pretty simple: Money.<\/p>\n

Disney, along with Marvel Studios, has spent years making Atlanta one of its biggest production hubs thanks to Georgia\u2019s generous tax incentives. The state offers productions tax credits worth up to 30 per cent, making it significantly cheaper to film there than in many other locations.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On top of that, Atlanta is home to massive studio facilities like Trilith Studios, giving filmmakers enough space to build enormous sets, control lighting and weather conditions, and film visual effects-heavy scenes that would be almost impossible to pull off on Hawaii\u2019s beaches.<\/p>\n

While the breathtaking island landscapes in Moana are very much the real thing, many of the movie\u2019s biggest moments actually came together inside a soundstage in Georgia.<\/p>\n

For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, <\/span><\/i>like our Facebook page<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Featured image credit: Disney<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do you mean it’s not all shot on the island?!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[99,4,267],"coauthors":[27],"class_list":["post-6314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-disney","tag-film","tag-moana"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReason Disney filmed Moana in Atlanta rather than Hawaii<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There's an unexpected reason why Disney swapped Hawaii for Atlanta while filming live-action Moana.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/07\/11\/the-unexpected-reason-disney-swapped-hawaii-for-atlanta-while-filming-live-action-moana\/\" \/>\n<meta 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