Dwayne Johnson made an announcement to confirm that his live-action remake of “Moana” is in the works, but speculates it could take three to five years until the work is completed.
Meanwhile, Auli’i Cravalho, who plays Moana in the original film, announced she will not reprise her role.
Johnson said Walt Disney Studios and invested parties are “still very early in the [development] process”, and there is still much “more work to do”.
Previous Disney live-action remakes take between three and five years to remake – which means fans might wait until 2028 to see the feature.
Johnson’s original ad
Johnson, who plays the shapeshifting Maui, first mentioned the remake on April 3.
“Deeply honored to announce that we are bringing the beautiful story of MOANA to the big screen live!” Johnson wrote on Instagram at the time. “This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of the grace of our peoplemana and warrior strength.
“I wear our culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with MAUI, inspired by the spirit of my late grandfather, Grand Chef Peter Maivia, is very deep for me,” continues the actor. “We are honored to partner with @DisneyStudios to tell our story through music and dance, which is central to who we are as Polynesian people.”
Why is Disney remaking “Moana”?
Disney has set out to remake its animated classics, such as “The Little Mermaid”, with Halle Bailey, “Cruella”, with Emma Stone, as well as ‘Mulan’, ‘Aladdin’ and even ‘The Lion King’, with more in the works, such as ‘Snow White’ which will star Rachel Zegler, as well as ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Hercules’.
The animated film was released in theaters in November 2016, starring Auli’i Cravalho as Moana, who continues a great adventure to save his people. Cravalho played the role when she was just 14, making her the youngest actress to ever play a Disney Princess.
‘Moana’s is one of Diney’s most successful films, with $643 million at the worldwide box office.
The film won two Oscars, one for Best Animated Feature and another for Best Original Song.
