04 April 2023 , 09:20
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Dwayne Johnson has announced that a live-action remake of Disney’s 2016 animated film Moana is in production.
The US actor said he was “deeply humbled” to make the announcement, saying that the story was “emblematic of our culture’s grace, mana and warrior strength”.
Moana follows the story of an adventurous teenager who sets sail on a daring mission to save her people, enlisting the help of the gregarious demi-god Maui, voiced by Johnson.
Johnson revealed the project in a short video online, filmed on a beach on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu with his daughters.
“Deeply humbled to announce we’re bringing the beautiful story of Moana to the live action big screen!” he wrote on Instagram.
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“This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace, mana and warrior strength.”
Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson voiced the two main characters in the 2016 hit film (Dumfries And Galloway Standard)In the video, Johnson also paid tribute to his grandfather, high chief Peter Maivia, who inspired him while bringing the role of Maui to life.
“I wear our culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once in a lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me.
“We’re honored to partner with @disneystudios to tell our story through the realm of music and dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people.”
The video concluded with Johnson’s daughters fetching him a real-life replica of Maui’s magical fishing hook.
Dwayne and his Moana co-star Auli'i in 2016 (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“Is daddy Maui?” he asked them, to which they replied “No!”
“You guys want ice-cream?… so daddy’s Maui,” Johnson told them.
Moana was a huge hit with audiences and critics, raking in over $665 million worldwide and earning an Oscar nomination for best animated movie, missing out to fellow Disney movie, Zootopia in 2017.
Despite being such a success, Moana's planned next chapter has already divided some fans on social media.
As the news broke about the upcoming remake, one Twitter user wrote: "This has to be a joke, right? I mean, I actually really liked it, but this movie is from 2016.. it doesn’t need a remake.. they must have hundreds of new ideas just sitting on their desk.. why spend hundreds of thousands on a remake of a seven-year-old movie??"
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Some think a live-action remake is a mistake (©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.)Another seemingly agreed, writing: "Moana came out in 2016. It’s not even a decade old yet. A live action remake isn’t just disrespectful, it’s pointless."
"It’s not even been a generation since it came out. Let it age. Has Disney not got enough money," a third asked.
However, many were delighted by Dwayne's announcement earlier this week.
"Can't wait to see the Rock sing you’re welcome in live action," one excited fan quipped on Monday, with another adding: "Me and my daughter shall be there."
A third argued: "Imma let them cook tbh. I'm not happy about all the remakes, but if the main two are returning. I'm willing to see where they go with this."