The balance of power in the Disney universe is about to change. Well, not really, but Dwayne Johnson announced today that the animated feature Moana is getting a live-action “reimagining” less than a decade after its 2016 release.
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In a pre-recorded video, Johnson, who plays the entity Maui in the original feature, announced that while things are in the early stages, a live-action Moana is in the works and he’ll be reprising his deity as well.
“I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the news. “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.”
2016’s Moana centers on a teenager (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) who travels the seas around her island-nation on a mission to save her people and also understand why they stopped ocean voyages for centuries. On her journey with her adorable chicken, she runs into the god Maui (Johnson) and ultimately fulfills an ancient quest of her people. It’s a good movie, and includes music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Things are still in the early days of this live-action version, so no news on who will be in the cast besides Johnson. Carvalho will be an executive producer, at least, and Jared Bush (director and co-writer of Encanto) as well as Samoan industry pro Dana Ledoux Miller will also take part in the production in some shape, way, or form.
