First Look At WWE's Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson As Maui In Live-Action Moana

The Academy Award-nominated film "Moana" has had a live action remake in production for a number of years, starring newcomer Catherine Laga'aia in the titular role, and former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who will reprise his role as Maui from the original and its sequel. 

Following production delays, Walt Disney Pictures has released a trailer for the film, set to release on July 10, which not only gives a first look as Laga'aia's turn as Moana, but also Johnson's appearance as the live-action version of Maui, which is much closer to the TKO Board Member's appearance, albeit with much longer hair, and a slightly different physique. The film was directed by Thomas Kail, who previously directed the pro-shoot of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton" on Broadway. Miranda wrote the songs in the original "Moana," and reportedly contributed new songs to the 2026 version after being absent from "Moana 2."

Johnson has not appeared in WWE since the build to WrestleMania 41, when he played a major role in the John Cena heel turn, before vanishing from programming before the big event. He hasn't been absent backstage though, as he helped WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his daughter Liberty attend the premiere for "Moana 2" in Hawaii last year. Rhodes called it the "best premiere" he'd ever been to. 

Johnson hasn't just been away from WWE with "Moana" duties, as he also starred in last year's "The Smashing Machine," as former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, which ended up earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Make Up and Hairstyling.

I'm not going to pretend that I am the world's biggest "Moana" fan, or that I've been paying extra-close attention to the production woes of the live-action remake of the 2016 gem, but that is why it is all the more glaring that even I was aware of how much trouble Disney and the filmmakers had turning Dwayne Johnson into Maui. The film was delayed a whole year, as the initial plan of using an AI-deepfake of Johnson's face on a body double was scrapped. While I do applaud the ethics of not going with some kind of hideous AI monstrosity, I do have to chuckle about all the time, work, and money that went into deciding "What if Maui just looked like The Rock in a wig?"

It really is the funniest decision they could've made.

There is something incredibly, hilariously off-putting about The Rock's gaunt, skinny face and the weird rubber muscle suit he's wearing. It would be adorable if it didn't likely cost the GDP of a small country.

Again, I do not exactly hold the original film sacred, but it's an adorable film, full of sweet, earworm songs, and -most importantly- a lot of color. I think I could look past The Rock's ridiculous wig if there was literally anything else to look at in the trailer, but the bright, sunlight hues of the original film have been coated in a dull grey filter, such is the case with many live-action remakes. If you didn't know, "live-action" has to mean "shot through grey mop water" because Hollywood executives all have clinical depression or something, and don't believe that colors exist in real life, despite the existence of flowers.

Anyway, I am very underwhelmed by it all. A long delay, a lot of money spent, and the whole thing looks like a Super Bowl ad for Old Spice. I'm not saying I want to see whatever digital ghost they'd be able to make by AI-ing Johnson's face onto a giant man, but there has to be a happy medium somewhere.