Dwayne Johnson confirms that he’s wearing a bodysuit in the live-actionMoana. Johnson, who voiced the demigod Maui in both the animatedmovies, is also playing the character in the live-action adaptation. Set images saw buffed-up Dwayne in costume, matching Maui’s iconic full-body tattoo and long curly hair. Since the images were revealed, fans have been speculating whether Dwayne has bulked up for the role or if he’s wearing a bodysuit.
Johnson tellsExtra TVthat he was in fact wearing a suit. The actor reveals thatthe suit “took a long time to put on” and he spent “a couple of hours every day” transforming himself into Maui. The Rock stressed that they had “walls” put up to stop the paparazzi from leaking photos, but because filming took place outside, it was impossible to stop everyone. However,Johnson was happy to learn that people couldn’t tell if he was wearing a suit.
That’s a suit that took a long time to put on, so, I’m so happy you said, ‘You bulked up,’ because when you say, ‘You bulked up,’ that means you couldn’t tell.That is a couple of hours every day of transforming, putting that on. We shot outside and when those pictures surfaced, I was like, ‘S—, we got caught, ’cause we were putting up, like, walls so there was no paparazzi. But they got into boats and started shooting pictures. So, but I’m happy you liked it. I can’t wait. The movie comes out in 2026.
What This Means For Live-Action Moana
Moana Is Bringing Maui To Life
In the same interview, Johnson teased that even though he had voiced the character in both animated movies,filming the live-action movie was “eye-opening"and the moment he stepped into the character of theshape-shifting demigod Mauion set, he knew right away that it was different. The Rock teased that"it becomes real all of sudden.” The bodysuit is only one of many that help the characters and stories come to life without losing their magic and authenticity.
Moana 2 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear take over songwriting duties for Moana 2 and bring some big new hits to the legendary canon of Disney songs.
Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the titular heroine in the animated movies, won’t be joining Johnson in the upcominglive-actionMoanaadaptation’s castdue to age. Catherine Laga’aia will play the courageous heroine. Directed by Tony Award-winning director, Thomas Kail, the live-action adaptation is co-written by Jared Bush, who’s behind the original movie, and Dana Le Doux Miller, who has both writing and directing credits for the sequel.
Our Take On Live-Action Moana
Moana Is Going Strong As A Franchise
Moana 2takes viewers on another epic journey that sees the Wayfinder facing the biggest challenge to date as someone who has a deeper understanding of the danger and weight of her voyages. The sequel currently has an89% audience approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the same score as the original.Screen Rant reviewedMoana 2and praised its “exhilarating adventure” and how it centers around the relationships between characters while telling a coming-of-age story.
There are many burning questions that the live-action adaptation will need to answer, including how faithful the story would be to the plot of the original movie. Based on the quality and originality of the animated movies and the fact that all the right people are involved in the making of the live-actionMoanaadaptation, the remake might be even bigger than both animated films. Production wrapped in Hawaii in November, and fans will be able to watch the movie in theaters on August 11, 2025.
Moana
Cast
In Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Moana,” a young Polynesian girl embarks on a daring voyage to save her people, seeking the demigod Maui’s help to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
