Maui says “you’re welcome,” but some fans are saying “no, thank you” to Disney’s latest remake.
Disney released the first trailer for its live-action “Moana,” giving fans a first look of Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui alongside a new cast.
The remake is arriving just ahead of the original animated film’s 10th anniversary.
The Rock reprises his role as the confident demigod Maui, while Catherine Laga’aia takes on the titular role. The cast also includes Rena Owen as Gramma Taia, Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother, Sina, and John Tui as Moana’s father, Chief Tui, per IMDb.
Auli’i Cravalho, the actress who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, is an executive producer on the live-action film and is not reprising her role, saying in 2023 she wanted to “pass this baton” to allow another Pacific Islander to take the lead, according to People.
Thomas Kail, known for “Hamilton” and “Grease Live!” directed the feature, while the screenplay was written by Dana Ledoux Miller and Jared Bush, who wrote the original 2016 script.
The animated “Moana” was a critical and box office success, grossing $643 million in the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo. It earned an Oscar nomination for best animated feature at the Oscars, while Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “How Far I’ll Go” received a nomination for best original song, according to IMDb.
Fan reactions
While the trailer garnered some positive buzz, online reactions were mixed.
Much of social media’s criticism centered on Johnson’s wig. Director Thomas Kail told Entertainment Weekly that the hair was a significant technical obstacle.
“We knew that it had to be something that could have real lift to it,” he said. “Because you’re doing this on the water, ‘what does it look like wet?’ is a real conversation when you’re making ‘Moana.’ That one weighs seven pounds more with all the water in it for all those hours a day.”
Johnson added that the wig and 40 pounds of prosthetics presented a challenge for the actor.
“The thing that became a challenge, that I had to work through very quickly, that I didn’t anticipate was the prosthetics and the hair and then the body. That is an additional 40 pounds on you,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
One fan wrote, “Hundreds of millions of dollars wasted so Dwayne Johnson can don a terrible wig and deliver the same lines but with worse timing.” Another said, “to be Dwayne Johnson and Disney puts you in a shake n go wig from the beauty supply for their live action adaptation of your movie.”
Several users also compared the film’s aesthetic to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch.
The live-action version of “Moana” is set to sail into theaters July 10.