Get ready to get You’re Welcome stuck in your head again.
Dwayne Johnson has announced that a live-action remake of the 2016 animated film Moana is in the works.
The actor, who starred as the demi-god Maui in the original, will produce the upcoming flick, following in the footsteps of other Disney live-action remakes like 2019’s Aladdin, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid, which releases this summer.
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 honored to partner with @DisneyStudios to tell our story thru the realm of music & dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people🪝 pic.twitter.com/CxJFKQewUS
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 3, 2023
“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. “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.”
The original film, which released seven years ago, grossed over $682 million worldwide and received two Oscar nominations. The plot follows the titular Pacific Islander who sets out into the ocean with Maui to set things right, after Maui accidentally lets loose an ancient curse.
Another returning star, Auli‘i Cravalho, the voice of Moana in original film, will be one of the executive producers on the remake.
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