Dwayne Johnson Partners With Disney to Announce a Moana Live-Action Remake

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has announced the live-action remake of his popular Disney movie Moana.

Johnson, who voiced the character of Maui, the demigod of the wind and sea, in the 2016 animated feature, shared the news on 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 Disney to tell our story through the realm of music and dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people,” the 50-year-old actor tweeted.

Set in ancient Polynesia, the film follows the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a coastal village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.

When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, in the hope of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people.

Actor Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original animated film, will executive produce with Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co, reported entertainment news outlet Variety.

John Musker and Ron Clements directed the original movie, from a story by themselves, Chris Williams, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell. Bush was the sole credited screenwriter.

The live-action film is being produced by Johnson’s own Seven Bucks Productions, alongside Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia — the same team behind his DC Comics venture Black Adam. The original Moana collected $690.8 million (about Rs. 5,677 crore) at the global box office against an estimated budget of $150 million (about Rs. 1,233 crore).

Back in February, Disney announced animated sequels for Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia, which are currently in the early stages of development. Just like the aforementioned Moana, none of them has a confirmed release window, for now.