Dwayne Johnson Confirms His Next Movie With Song Number

Dwayne Johnson has confirmed the next movie he’ll be filming is the upcoming live-action Moana remake. The film was previously reported to be in development in April 2023, with Johnson set to reprise his role as Maui from the original animated movie. The film has a planned release date of June 27, 2025.

Appearing on The Tonight Show, Johnson confirmed for host Jimmy Fallon that the live-action remake of Moana is going to be his next movie.

In the clip, Johnson also confirmed the movie will directed by Thomas Kail with music composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, reuniting the pair from their work on Hamilton. The end of his announcement sees his break into song, performing “You’re Welcome” from the original animated film.

Everything We Know About Live-Action Moana

As of writing, Johnson is the only actor confirmed to be reprising their role for the live-action remake. It was previously confirmed that Auli’i Cravalho, who portrayed the titular character in the original, will not be returning to the role, instead serving as an executive producer. In terms of returning crew members, Miranda will be in charge of the film’s soundtrack, having already worked on the 2016 original.

The story of the live-action version will likely follow the same beats as the animated original. This means Moana will be shown going on a quest to save her people by returning Te Fiti’s heart, soon accompanied by Johnson’s Maui in her journey. Because of the strong likelihood the story stays the same, familiar lines and songs – such as “Your Welcome” – will no doubt make appearances in the film.

Given how many live-action remakes Disney has produced in recent years, Moana can learn from other movies’ mistakes by embracing its animated identity while presenting a new take on the story. While it will no doubt have some differences, Johnson confirming his filming with a rendition of a song from the original indicates the heart of the first movie will remain intact. It remains to be seen just how similar or different the movie is when it comes to theaters in 2025.