Actor Dwayne Johnson has teamed up with Disney to develop a live-action remake of his 2016 animated musical film Moana, he announced on Monday via Twitter.
“Humbled to say we’re bringing #MOANA’s beautiful story to the live-action big screen! #MAUI changed my life (miss you grandpa) and I’m honoured to partner with @DisneyStudios to tell our story thru the realm of music and dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people🪝,” the Black Adam star wrote alongside a video of him talking about the upcoming project.
Johnson, who played the role of Maui, the demigod of the wind and sea, will return in the live-action film as well. In the two-minute-eight-second-long video, he’s seen on a pristine beach in Hawaii with his two daughters as he announces the live-action remake of Moana.
“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,” he says.
Walt Disney Studios also reshared the video and captioned it, “JUST ANNOUNCED: From Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho, a live-action reimagining of Disney’s Moana is in the works!”
Watch the video here:
Moana took its inspiration from Polynesian myths as it told the story of a young woman who disobeys her father, the chief of an island that is dealing with an impending ecological disaster, and goes off on a quest to reunite a mystical relic with its owner, a goddess named Te Fiti. Along the way, she releases Maui from his island prison, is captured by a monstrous crab and finds the strength to become the chief her father believed she could be.
Johnson will produce the live-action remake via his Seven Bucks Productions along with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia. Jared Bush, who wrote the screenplay for the original movie, is back to write the remake along with Dana Ledoux Miller. However, no director is involved at this stage of development.
Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original, will be associated with the film as an executive producer along with Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co.
The 2016 animated film was helmed by John Musker and Ron Clements and the story was jointly developed by Clements, Musker, Chris Williams, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was involved in the song-making alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. One of the songs from Moana, How Far I’ll Go, was nominated for best original song at the Academy Awards.
Moana garnered positive reviews and earned over USD 665 million worldwide along with an Oscar nomination for the best-animated film.
