Live-Action Moana Is Coming
You read that right; Disney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are working on a live-action Moana film. Moana is only seven years old, and I fail to see what they could reasonably update. But the film has stayed at the top of movie streaming charts since Disney+ launched, and they seem intent on remaking everything. Moana’s voice actress, Auli’i Cravalho, is producing the film along with Disney and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks.
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
Why is this happening? Maui is my favorite of Johnson’s characters by a landslide because, despite fitting into his wheelhouse, he still feels like a distinct character. Maui is more than an avatar for Dwayne Johnson. But Moana isn’t even a decade old, and it’s a Disney original, not a fairy tale adaptation, so they’re at no risk of losing the copyright. I truly don’t understand why this would ever be necessary. Don’t get me wrong; I’m aware that Disney, like any company, wants money. This movie is beloved almost universally and seems to be one of their most popular newer films. I love Moana, and that’s exactly why I don’t want them to do this, and I think it will be a mistake for the brand. You can even see how they’ve tried to replicate this success with a film like Raya and the Last Dragon. Moana is a near-perfect film with gorgeous animation, clever, catchy songs, and emotionally satisfying character arcs for Moana and Maui. The only real problems I can think of are the Kakamora scene and how quickly the leads reconcile in the third act. Suffice it to say, Disney isn’t going to improve on this story; I don’t see how they could, and that’s not why they’re doing this, anyway.
But what do you think? Do you want to see Moana in live-action? Talk to us in the comments!
