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\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Auli\u2019i Cravalho<\/strong><\/a> found breakout success as the voice of Moana<\/strong><\/a> in Disney\u2019s hit movie back in 2016. However, she has opted out of playing the titular character again in a forthcoming live-action remake. <\/p>\n The 23-year-old Mean Girls<\/strong><\/a><\/em> star broke down her decision in a recent interview, explaining why she was happily passing the role along to another young actress. <\/p>\n Read more about Auli\u2019i Cravalho\u2019s decision\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest,\u201d Auli\u2019i<\/strong> said during an interview with The Wrap. <\/p>\n She continued, saying, \u201cI have been invited, and I exist in these beautiful AAPI spaces. Asian American Pacific Islander. And I\u2019m one of the few Pacific Islanders. I\u2019ll say it again: I\u2019m one of the few Pacific Islanders. And our stories are so important to be told.\u201d<\/p>\n Auli\u2019i<\/strong> stressed the importance of representation in the industry. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Pacific Islands, Hawaii being one of them\u2026 It\u2019s used. We are used, and I want to tell our own stories. I want to be behind the camera as much as I am in front of it. When I talk about representation, I want to see the same thing happening in writers rooms. I want to see the same thing happening with directors. Taika Waititi<\/strong><\/a> talks about this as well,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to see showrunners who are also of Indigenous descent telling their own stories.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAnd if it has to start with me, I\u2019m 23. But if it starts with me, so be it. And I want that door to swing wide open, and I cannot wait to meet the next Moana,\u201d Auli\u2019i<\/strong> added. <\/p>\n While she will not reprise her role in the movie, Auli\u2019i<\/strong> is set to act as a producer alongside former costar Dwyane Johnson<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The cast of the movie has not yet been announced, but a director did join the project<\/a>. <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n