Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to star in Moana (again)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced that Disney is developing a live-action remake of Moana just seven years after its release
Aux News Moana
The hierarchy of power in the Disney universe is about to change. Having failed at his semi-hostile takeover of DC Studios, The Rock seems to be turning his ambitions back to the House of Mouse. There, he already has a canonized animated adventure and a successful live-action romp under his belt; why not marry the two and make a live-action Moana?
Maybe because Disney’s soulless live-action remakes have largely brought nothing of value to the world, but neither Disney nor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has ever been one to leave money on the table. Presumably, that’s why Johnson has signed on to not only executive produce but also star in this adaptation of a film in which he’s already starred (as the demigod Maui). Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of the animated Moana, is also on board as an executive producer, according to Deadline.
To dispense with snark momentarily, both actors have highlighted the importance of celebrating Polynesian culture making the film. “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me,” Johnson said in a statement (per Deadline). Cravalho, meanwhile, shared that the character “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.”
Just how new a remake of a film released a scant seven years ago featuring at least some of the same cast can be remains to be seen. Per Deadline, even the original screenwriter Jared Bush (Encanto) is on board, along with “Samoan industry pro” Dana Ledoux Miller. But as Johnson says in the video announcement, the project is still in the early stages of development.
In the past, one could at least say that the studio’s live-action remakes were refreshing material that was decades old; now an animated classic barely even has time to establish itself as a classic before it’s refitted for “real” life. At least it can be said that the latest live actions are diversifying Disney’s historically-white slate. The upcoming Lilo & Stitch (the other 21st-century remake) just cast a young Hawaiian actor in the titular role. Then there’s The Little Mermaid, which reimagines the 1989 animated tale with a Black actor as Ariel.
37 Comments
Neat. Which one is him again?
I’m not gonna see any of these live action remakes until they do Toy Story… Just build gigantic real sets and wheel out Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
Also, if they ever do decide to make live-action version of Pixar movies, I guess the Incredibles would be some fantastic company synergy…
There are facial expressions from the first Toy Story movie that Tim Allen is completely incapable of pulling off.
I want a live-action ‘Cars’, but no faces on the cars. Just footage of a lot of real automobiles driving around with the disembodied voices of the cast floating out of the speakers.
Have you considered watching NASCAR
This pretty much articulates perfectly my feelings on Cars and the World of Cars®, the only Pixar creation I never ever liked. I can suspend my disbelief for just about anything, but the world of Cars just makes you ask too many questions. Who made these cars? Why does the world look like it was still built for humans? Shouldn’t tow trucks look like ambulances?Actually, if they were to make a movie live action Cars movie with Owen Wilson playing a human race car drive, Larry the Cable guy, etc. … that wouldn’t be half bad. Just cast Michael J. Fox in the Paul Newman role, since the movie is basically Doc Hollywood with race cars.
Would you take a deepfake of the original using Stallone and Schwarzeneggar’s faces?
What a way to celebrate their 100th anniversary huh? “We’re gonna remake a very popular movie we made barely seven years ago because…$$$ somehow.”Remaking a CGI movie will necessitate they have to recreate everything in CGI anyway – the David Bowie crab, the little coconut dudes, the giant lava maiden. They’re just going to be photorealistic now instead of cartoons?
David Bowie crab?!?I love me some Bowie, but don’t you dare diss the great Jemaine Clement!
I know Tamatoa didn’t wear an eyepatch, but I don’t know if Jermaine would be offended at the comparison.https://youtu.be/g8f_XCH3zmM
I mean, it’s Jemaine doing his David Bowie impression pretty much.
And it will end with Maui fighting Superman, played by Henry Cavill
The window between enjoyable animated movies and their insufferable remakes is shrinking. By 2031 scientitians predict animated movies will premiere straight to streaming services while the remakes receive wide theatrical release on the same day.
My hope is that when they realize they are starting to run out of animated movies to remake, they’ll have no choice but to start making animated movies again. It has been quite I thing to watch this company stray so far away from the very medium from which they are known.
I just don’t feel like I understand who the target audience is supposed to be. These are children’s movies. They do hold a lot of appeal for adults (I personally love Moana), but they’re for children. Is a 4 year old supposed to enjoy a live-action version of Moana? Mine wouldn’t. Anything with real people he says is a “grown up show” (thought he does enjoy Marvel, but that’s a lot of bang and boom). So remaking Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and other old stuff made a little since because it would bring in adults on the nostalgia factor, but there’s no nostalgia for Moana. It was literally just here. And the people who watched it when they were 4 or 7 aren’t trying to go see it now as preteens and teenagers with their friends, are they? And I’m not trying to go see it as an adult in my 40s. Who is this for?
Do an animated remake of a live-action film, you cowards! The Black Hole is sitting right there!
They are kinda doing that with Aristocats. Maybe try Atlantis next?
I’m still convinced that Disney will never touch The Black Hole (despite the movie poster being in Tron: Legacy), simply because the psychic/telepathy angle is too much for them. Plus the entire 10-15 finale of the truly trippy journey through the black hole, which I’m sure freaked out my parents more than 4-year old Rogue. I loved it then and I am still pissed that my Black Hole pop-up book got destroyed.
I wish Bob Iger would stop leaving his brand deposits all over the place.
Until they start reliably not making money they aren’t going away.
This is fantastic news. Stick with me.As we’ve seen with DC, if there’s anyone whose diva behavior and unreasonable production demands result in a movie with such mediocre performance that it pivots an entire studio’s future production strategy, it’s the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.His involvement may be the thing that finally kills off Disney making tepid, live-action remakes.
This is just step one of his plan to have a movie where Maui fights Captain America, isn’t it.
I dislike Dwayne Johnson’s personality as much as anyone, but I have to admit it’s a perfect fit for Maui, and I have to admit he killed it in the original. I sadly have no reason to expect he won’t do a great job here.
I mean, Moana is probably the animated movie that is most easily translatable to live action, since pretty much all of the main characters (except the pets) are human or humanoid. I expect Encanto to be the next one.I mean, Lion King made the least sense, but it made bank.
I fully expect hei hei to be a hyperreal chicken abomination
And still voiced by Alan Tudyk.
Come on, the chicken was the best character in the movie!I don’t know one real life chicken actor that could pull it off.
Why is there so much snark about this…? As far as representation goes this is a lot cooler than most of their announced remakes. Why is having a live action POC Disney Princess goan worthy? Someone should really double check these before AV Club writes tone deaf articles whining about the princess of colour getting the live action treatment…. seriously how white is your staff?
I would have guessed Frozen would get the remake before Moana. I just don’t see a point if your having more or less the same cast and people making it. A lot of the charm was the creative animation, at this rate why not just make a sequel?
“A lot of the charm was the creative animation”And there you go…the simple and basic reason that these remakes are so awful.
Id say Rock Ego is the number 1 reason here.
I look forward to the scene where Maui is weakened and only the smooth taste of Teremana brand tequila is powerful enough to revitalise him.
Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of the animated Moana, is also on board as an executive producer,
The cartoon only came out seven years ago.
She could still play live-action Moana.
barely even has time to establish itself as a classic
AV Club has routinely been including movies barely a year old on their “Best of All Time” slideshows, so they really shouldn’t be the ones to throw stones here.
Moana is a cut above most Disney movies in that it actually represents and respects a culture that has been wholly misrepresented and abused by popular culture, up to and including the recent travesty Cameron Crowe’s “Aloha”. There is just no end to the reductive depictions of Hawai’i as little more than a resort for honeymooners, with “Hawaiian” films featuring little to no Hawaiians, white main characters who are often just tourists, and just a shocking level of disrespect for the locals and culture. And in terms of Polynesian representation/depiction, there’s practically nil. But Moana did an amazing job at being true to the culture and telling a great story, without a single alhoa shirt or surfboard trope (although aloha wear and surfing are critically important to Hawaiian culture as well, don’t get me wrong, it’s just used as a shorthand too often and poorly)So I support a live action remake because Moana was incredibly well done, and I’m proud that my daughter, with half of her family being from Hawai’i, watches it constantly. I’m encouraged that Johnson has put Polynesian and Hawaiian cultural respect front and center in this announcement. Anyway off my soapbox. Hope I didnt anger the trolls too much.
Love Moana, but couldn’t be less interested in this. None of these live action remakes hold any appeal for me. I’m happy that a lot of Pacific Islander actors will be getting the roles (presumably), and I do love the telling of their stories (though surely they have more than one story such that this one doesn’t need retelling a mere 7 years later…), so for these reasons I hope it’s successful. Though success will just mean more of these remakes, but that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point anyway.
The only live action Disney remake that is worth a damn is Jungle Book. Seriously – it’s good, and it’s not a shot for shot thing; I think the only song bit is Bill Murray as Baloo sort of mumbling part of “Bare Necessities”. The voice cast was great, the cgi was too. I’ve seen parts of the other ones; they just don’t do a thing to improve on their originals. And actually … I thought the remakes were done with some strange copyright-keeping scheme in mind, but maybe I’m wrong. (Anyway that wouldn’t make sense since Moana is so new.)