Disney, Dwayne Johnson working on 'Moana' live-action remake
MANILA, Philippines — A live-action remake of Disney's 2016 hit animated film "Moana" is on the books by the studio, as confirmed by one of the film's stars Dwayne Johnson.
"Moana" follows the titular character in an ocean adventure to return a mystical relic to the goddess Te Fiti, its story loosely inspired from Polynesian myths. It grossed $682.6 million (P37.2 billion) at the global box office and was nominated for two Academy Awards
The wrestler-turned-actor announced the project in a pre-recorded video shot in Hawaii that was played by Disney executive Bob Iger in the studio's annual shareholder meeting.
In the video, Johnson introduces viewers to the island of O'ahu where he had grown up and how much Hawaii means to his family; the actor was joined in the video by his two youngest daughters Jasmine and Tiana who mostly played with the sand.
"The Pacific Islands and their cultures inspired a very special story, one that you all know very well, and that story is... drum roll please," Johnson teased before his daughters in shouting out "Moana!"
Johnson then officially said a live-action "Moana" was in the works and would bring back familiar faces such as the titular heroine, Grandma Tala, Te Fiti, Pua the Pig, Heihei the Chicken, and the music by Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foa'i, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
After another rib, Johnson also said the character he voiced the shapeshifting demigod Maui would also be returning, and will likely be portraying him again apart from being a producer.
Johnson went on to share that Maui's characterization was inspired by his late grandfather Peter Maivia who was also a wrestler and part-time actor, and in praising him began drifting off to sing lines from one of the film's soundtrack "You're Welcome."
"Just how deep this story is for me... because in a way, when I bring Maui to life, I'm doing in the spirit of my grandfather," Johnson continued, adding that the live-action remake was still in its early stages.
The video ended with Johnson wielding a life-size version of Maui's magical giant fishhook brought to him by his daughters, who again tease him about his Maui characterization.
Moana's original voice actor Auli’i Cravalho serves as an executive producer as will screenwriter Jared Bush, having also worked on other Disney animated films including "Encanto" and "Zootopia"; no director has been attached yet.
"[Moana] has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses. Moana’s strength and perseverance are inspiring — to audiences around the world, to me and to everyone who helped bring her to life. I’m looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way," Cravalho said in a statement.
"Moana" is now the latest Disney film to receive the live-action treatment as the studio attempted it with their classic and Renaissance-era projects; the only other major Disney animated film from the 21st century confirmed to have a live-action remake is 2003's "Lilo & Stitch."
The most recent Disney live-action remakes were of "Pinocchio," "Cruella," and "Mulan," and this year will see the releases of "The Little Mermaid" and "Peter Pan & Wendy." — Video from Disney's YouTube channel
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