Dwayne Johnson is returning to one of his most beloved characters! No, it’s not Black Adam. It’s Maui, the legendarily strong demigod from Disney’s 2016 hit, Moana, as Johnson has announced that a live-action reimagining is in the early stages of development.
Johnson revealed the news today as part of a cute video filmed in Hawaii, alongside his daughters who have never believed that their father was ever Maui. It’s a joke they return to at the end of the video, too.
Johnson will return to the role of Maui, although it’s unclear if anyone else from the original movie will be joining him. We do know that Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana, is aboard as exec-producer. Jared Bush of Disney’s Encanto and Zootopia is also part of the production, joined by Samoan industry pro Dana Ledoux Miller.
Johnson said in his statement: “I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. 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. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.”
“She has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses,” Cravalho said. “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.”
