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| Credit: Dwayne Johnson/Instagram |
Johnson expressed his honor to partner with Disney Studios and to bring the beautiful story of “Moana” to the live-action big screen through music and dance, which are integral to Polynesian culture.
The 2016 animated film was a huge success, grossing over $680 million at the box office. Flynn Picture Co. will produce the new film, with Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of Moana in the original film, listed as one of the executive producers of the project.
Johnson stated that the reimagining of “Moana” is in its early stages of development. He shared a pre-recorded message from Hawaii as part of the shareholder meeting, where he spoke about his deep gratitude and humbleness to bring the story of “Moana” to the live-action big screen.
Johnson is of Polynesian descent and feels proud to showcase his culture in this project. He also mentioned that playing the role of Maui allows him to commemorate his late grandfather, Samoan professional wrestler Peter Maivia.
The announcement of the live-action adaptation of “Moana” comes almost a decade after the announcement of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first Polynesian princess, where Auli‘i Cravalho was revealed as the lead actor.
Johnson worked alongside her as the demigod Maui in the original animated film. Johnson added that the story of “Moana” is emblematic of Polynesian people’s grace and warrior strength.
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