Dwayne Johnson’s Moana Return Breaks A Major Disney Live-Action Remake Trend

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson confirmed that his next project is a live-action Moana movie, which means Disney will break a major live-action remake trend. The news of a live-action Moana is exciting, as a sequel has never been greenlit in the years following 2016’s animated hit. With a live-action adaptation on the horizon, Moana‘s popularity will endure — and maybe even prompt further animated movies set in the same world.

That’s just one of the reasons a Moana remake is a big deal, but Johnson’s involvement also promises a compelling adaptation. Although Disney’s live-action remakes haven’t been tremendously successful, involving a member of the original cast will help Moana feel authentic. Unfortunately, Moana‘s original voice actor won’t return for the project. Even still, Johnson’s comeback marks a nice change of pace from Disney’s usual approach to its live-action adaptations.

Dwayne Johnson Returning For Moana Means Maui Won’t Be Recast In Live-Action

If Johnson is returning for the live-action Moana movie, it means Maui won’t be recast in the remake. Johnson captures the role perfectly in the original film, so it’s fitting that he’ll be able to bring Maui to life in another medium. There’s little doubt the actor will do a good job with this iteration of the character, and it’s clear he’s passionate about Moana overall. Discussing the upcoming project during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (via YouTube), Johnson even began rapping Maui’s “Your Welcome” from the movie. This offered a glimpse of what his live-action Maui would be like, and it bodes well.

Dwayne Johnson Is Only The Third Actor To Reprise Their Role In A Disney Live-Action Remake

Johnson’s casting as Maui in the live-action Moana breaks a Disney trend, as it’s only the third time an actor has reprised their animated role for a live-action movie. The first star to do so was Jim Cummings, who went from voicing Pooh and Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh cartoon to voicing the duo in 2018’s live-action Christopher Robin. James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original Lion King movie, was also so iconic that he returned for 2019’s live-action remake.

Of course, The Lion King and Winnie the Pooh mostly feature CGI characters, which means Johnson will be the first actor to reprise a role in live-action and actually appear on-screen. While Cummings and Jones both made the jump from an animated story to a live-action project, they were still voicing characters rather than physically playing them. As Maui takes on a human appearance, Johnson will be front and center in the live-action Moana, marking a first for Disney.