Lin-Manuel's kids are Moana's toughest critics

Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed that his two sons served as the initial test audience for his new song, "Along the Way," intended for the upcoming live-action Moana film, scheduled for release in 2026. Miranda stated that hearing his 8-year-old son, Francisco, spontaneously sing the song provided validation for its quality. He humorously noted that his children are accustomed to hearing him sing constantly as part of his work.

Miranda, a key creative force behind the 2016 animated Moana's music, including Grammy-winning "How Far I'll Go," is also a producer for the 2026 live-action version. While he did not contribute music to Moana 2, he was approached to write for the live-action adaptation after having worked on songs for "Mufasa: The Lion King." The new song is performed by Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson, with vocals from Auli'i Cravalho.