KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — A live action remake of the 2016 Walt Disney’s animated hit film Moana has been confirmed to be in the works.
Actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has also been confirmed to be returning for his role as the demigod Maui for the live reimagining of the film.
The announcement was made by Johnson himself along with his two daughters via Walt Disney’s YouTube page in a pre-recorded message from Hawaii posted yesterday.
“As many of you may not know, the brilliant team at Disney Animation, my partners, we found so much inspiration for Maui in the mana and the presence of my late grandfather, the legendary High Chief Peter Maivia.
“In a way, when I bring Maui to life, I’m doing it in the spirit of my grandfather,” Johnson said in the video.
He also teases the iconic Maui’s fish hook as seen in the animated film at the end of the video.
Johnson alongside his team at Seven Buck Productions will be producing the film alongside Flynn Picture Co.
Walt Disney Studios’s Motion Picture Production president Sean Bailey confirmed with Deadline that the live action remake is officially on their slate and the film was still at its early stages.
“It’s still early. But the idea of working with these fantastic partners to tell such a meaningful story on a live-action canvas, particularly as we celebrate 100 years of storytelling at Disney, is thrilling,” he said.
However, fans of the animated film were not too excited about the live-action remake announcement as some took to the video’s comment section to share their thoughts with many deemed it too early for a remake.
“As much as I love Moana, I believe it’s too early for a remake,” commented user Dani-er9dv.
“I loved Moana, one of the best Disney films of 2016. However, I don’t know if I want a remake,” commented user chasehedges6775.
“But why though? Not every animation movie needs a live action adaptation,” commented user dski1991.
Moana was released in November 2016 and has made waves ever since its release.
The animated film has grossed nearly US$644 million (RM2.8 billion) worldwide and was nominated for two Oscars.
Moana tells the story of a young Pacific Islander of the same name who set out into the ocean with Maui to set things right, after Maui accidentally lets loose an ancient curse.
The animated film voice cast included Johnson, Auli’l Cravalho, Alan Tudyk, Temuera Morrison as well as Nicole Scherzinger.
