Disney is on a roll with their live-action reboots. With “The Little Mermaid” and “Peter Pan” coming out soon, we now have something else to look forward to—a live action “Moana.”
Disney released a video on their YouTube channel featuring The Rock with this major announcement.
“Aloha, everyone, from beautiful Hawai’i,” he begins.
“We are here on the island of O’ahu, where I did a lot of growing up. As you know, Hawai’i means so much to my family and me,” he said. “The Pacific islands and their cultures inspired a very special story. One that you all know very well. And that story is…drumroll please…Moana!”
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“We are so excited to announce that a live-action reimagining of ‘Moana’ is in the works,” he added. Executive producers will also include original Moana voice actor Auli’i Cravalho in the live-action version, according to Deadline.
The Rock shared that the inspiration behind much of the story was taken from his late grandfather. “We found so much inspiration for Maui in the mana and the presence of my late grandfather, the legendary High Chief Peter Maivia.”
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He added, “I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.”
Cravalho noted in a statement of her own that the character of Moana “has had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses. Moana’s strength and perseverance are inspiring — to audiences around the world, to me and to everyone who helped bring her to life. I’m looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way.”