One of Hollywood’s most famous performers, Dwayne Johnson stars in and produces family-friendly films. Johnson began his career as a WWE wrestler and played the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001), which led to roles in The Scorpion King (2002), The Rundown (2003), and Walking Tall (2004).
Johnson played tough guys in Faster (2010), Snitch (2013), San Andreas (2015), and multiple Fast & Furious films in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Though he still plays serious roles, Johnson has recently played more humorous roles, especially in family-friendly four-quadrant films. Johnson’s 2016 animated film may be the best family film.
The Moana Art morphs Dwayne Johnson into his animated character Maui, creating a disturbing image.
An frightening Moana art video turns Johnson into CGI Maui. Moana, released in 2016, is one of Disney+’s most popular movies, paving the door for a November 2024 sequel. Auli’i Cravalho voices the title character in both films, while Johnson voices Maui, which he will play in the 2026 live-action Moana.
A new Instagram video by artist Isaias Silva imagines Johnson’s features superimposed onto the animated Maui, despite behind-the-scenes footage showing him as a live-action Maui. Silva stretches and morphs Johnson’s face and body onto the animated Maui’s excessive proportions, creating an unsettling image. See the video below:
Johnson’s Casting Impacts Moana Live-Action
Remake Is Sure to Win
Johnson is one of the biggest movie actors, thus his role in Moana is notable. Though his Maui appearance in the live-action version hasn’t been disclosed, Moana set photographs show Johnson will look like the animation character. Johnson plays Maui with long hair, tattoos, and attire and a muscular muscle suit, resembling Maui from the animated movies.
The original movie and Moana 2 relied on Johnson’s voice as Maui, so his return might help the live-action version succeed. Moana grossed $643 million when its premiere, but its Disney+ distribution made it popular. However, the sequel has grossed $896 million globally. So, the live-action film will be a hit.
Our Take on Johnson’s Moana Live-Action Casting
Johnson Needs Career Win
Johnson will reprise his Moana voice part in the live-action film, but Cravalho will not. As Cravalho appears to have aged out of live-action acting, Catherine Laga’aia will play the titular protagonist. Johnson seems to be the film’s main star and producer.
Frankie Adams as Sina, John Tui as Chief Tui, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala complete the live-action Moana cast.
Johnson may be a big movie star, but he hasn’t starred in a solid film in years. His Christmas blockbuster Red One was lambasted and a big office failure. Disney’s live-action remakes aren’t always good, but Moana is sure to be a blockbuster. Since it won’t try to convert Johnson’s face and body into a CGI figure, the remake is already on solid ground.
Johnson’s Career Summarized Box Office & Critics’ Reception
Johnson promoted Red One for years with behind-the-scenes photos and videos and promises a family-friendly film. However, with a $250 million budget, the film is more than a Christmas comedy. Red One’s worldwide box office is $281 million, a disappointing outcome given that the film was likely due to break even at $500 million. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 31%.
Johnson’s Career Since 2018
Title
RT Critics Score
RT Viewer Score
EST. Budget
Worldwide Box Office
Moana 2
61%
86%
$150M
$900M
Red One
31%
90%
$250M
$281M
The Black Adam
39%
88%
$195M
$393M
DC Super-Pet League
72%
88%
$90M
$207M
Red Alert*
37%
92%
$200M
N/A
Jungle Cruise*
62%
92%
$200M
$220M
Jumanji: Next Level
72%
87%
$130M
$801M
Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
67%
88%
$200M
$760M
Conflicting with Family
93%
86%
$11M
$41M
Skyscraper
48%
68%
$125M
$304M
Rampage
51%
72%
$120M
$428M
The COVID-19 pandemic hurt Jungle Cruise’s theatrical success, while Red Notice was Netflix-only.
Johnson’s animated films Moana 2 and DC League of Super-Pets did well critically and commercially, as shown in the chart above. His live-action record is more mixed, with Jumanji being his best. Note that Johnson’s most successful films have been franchises, not star-driven originals.
In recent years, Disney’s live-action remakes have been criticized, even though Moana 2 won’t bomb like Red One. Although technically excellent, they struggle to justify their existence in terms of quality. Pinocchio (2022), The Little Mermaid (2023), Peter Pan & Wendy (2023), and even the enormously successful The Lion King (2019) only improve visuals. If the live-action Moana follows this trend, it could be another average Johnson film.