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Who doesn’t remember Disney’s Moana? The 2016 movie starring Auli’i Carvalho and our very own Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was a massive box office hit, making over $687 million worldwide while winning 22 awards and being nominated for 90, including two Oscar nominations. So, to say the least, the movie was a grand success!
And now, it is gearing up to be turned into a live adaptation of the animated hit, with Dwayne Johnson returning to reprise the role of the shape-shifting demi-god, Maui. But what about the other cast members? And will it be directed by the same directors? Here are all the available details.
It’s all about Moana
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During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson talked about the fact that he would soon embark on production for the live adaptation of his hit animated movie, Moana. This was a follow-up to his 2023 announcement about Disney planning to make a live adaptation of the film.
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Talking to Fallon, he said, “My next project that I will be shooting is a live-action version of Moana,” he revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. On being called the “real life Maui,” the 51-year-old simply replied, “I am the real-life Maui. Thank you, guys, very much. I’m so excited about this,” added Johnson.
As for the other cast members, much to the dismay of fans, Auli’i Carvalho will not be reprising the role of Moana but will serve as the executive producer for the project. She called this decision ‘passing the baton’ to the other actress, who will represent the Pacific Island. “The cast accurately represents the characters and stories [they] want to tell.” She further added, “Pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent” and looks forward “to all the beautiful Pacific representation to come.”
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What about the rest?
No other cast member has been announced yet since the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed casting calls. So we are yet to find out if The Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger, who voiced Moana’s mother, would be coming back to reprise the role along with other actors such as Boba Fett star Temuera Morrison, who voiced Moana’s father, Jermaine Clement, who played the shiny coconut crab Tatamota, and Rachel House, who voiced Moana’s grandmother, Gramma Tala.
Read More: WATCH: Dwayne Johnson Sends a Heartwarming Message to a Special, Young Fan
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Apart from the cast, the original writer of the movie, Jared Bush, will also be returning to work on the live adaptation. The movie would be produced by Dwayne Johnson’s co-owned Seven Bucks Productions, along with Flynn Picture Co. and Walt Disney Pictures. The film is expected to release on June 27, 2025. So are you excited to see Moana come to life on the big screen? Let us know in the comments.
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