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Dwayne Johnson reveals start date for Moana live-action filming with BTS video

Summary

  • Dwayne Johnson announces shooting window for live action film
    Vaiana – The wonderful world of love
    Remake with a special behind-the-scenes video.
  • Johnson is recording scratch vocals for Maui's song “You're Welcome” and confirmed that principal production on the film will begin this fall.
  • Although it is one of the shortest time spans for Disney between an original animated film and a live-action remake, there are a number of reasons why
    Vaiana – The wonderful world of love
    might ultimately work.


After the release date was initially delayed, Dwayne Johnson has now announced the time frame for the start of filming for the live-action movie. Vaiana – The wonderful world of love Remake. The live-action adaptation of the hit 2016 Disney film was first announced in early 2023, with Johnson not only returning to reprise his role as demigod Maui, but also serving as an executive producer on the project. Although originally slated for a June 2025 release, the live-action Vaiana – The wonderful world of love was postponed to July 2026 to make room for the release of the animated sequel.

Johnson took to his Instagram to share a special behind-the-scenes video of the live-action Vaiana – The wonderful world of love New edition.


The video, as seen above, shows Johnson in the vocal booth recording scratch vocals for Maui's popular song “You're Welcome.” The post's caption also confirms that filming for the live-action remake will officially begin this fall, with Johnson citing the aforementioned production day as “cool day at work with this very talented cadre of artists and filmmakers.


“Vaiana” is Disney’s riskiest and most promising live-action remake yet


Although Disney is at the center of the division because of its frequent live-action remakes of previous works, Vaiana – The wonderful world of love proves to be one of his riskier efforts. Johnson was once a box office force to be reckoned with, although recent episodes have posted some disappointing numbers, namely Black AdamLikewise, Disney's live-action remakes have struggled to match the critical and commercial success of previous efforts, with 2023 The little mermaid rated as underperformers. Check out how their recent live-action remakes and adaptations of their works have fared on Rotten Tomatoes and at the box office below:

title

RT critics rating

RT Audience Rating

Box office

Mulan

76%

54%

69.9 million US dollars

Cruella

75%

97%

233.5 million US dollars

Jungle Cruise

62%

92%

220.9 million US dollars

Cheaper in dozens

35%

34%

N/A (streaming only)

The Adventures of Tinker Bell (2022)

28%

27%

N/A (streaming only); $150 million budget

Peter Pan & Wendy

64%

11%

N/A (streaming only)

The Little Mermaid (2023)

67%

94%

569.6 million US dollars

The Haunted Mansion (2023)

37%

84%

117.5 million US dollars


However, there are also a number of reasons why the live action Vaiana – The wonderful world of love The remake is one of Disney's most promising to date. The film will be the directorial debut of Thomas Kail, who previously directed not only the filmed production of Hamilton for Disney+, but has a storied background in theater, making him the perfect candidate to tell the grandiose story of the original animated hit. Kail also recently received recognition for his work on Hulu's We were the lucky onesand thus demonstrates his ability to tell a global story like that of Vaiana – The wonderful world of love'S.

Related

9 lessons the Moana remake can learn from Disney's live-action mistakes

Disney announced that Moana is the next title to be released as a live-action remake – but it's important that the studio learns from its past mistakes.


The other important factor why the live action Vaiana – The wonderful world of love reboot could be one of Disney's best as it continues the studio's expansion to provide better representation of a variety of cultures. While the first film highlighted some elements of Polynesian culture, both the upcoming animated sequel and the live-action film can further that effort with a cast full of authentic actors to inspire a new generation. In addition, Vaiana 2 – The Great AdventureThe release of “The Last Man” proved to be just as successful as its predecessor and sparked such interest in the series among audiences that it was remade in theaters.

Source: Dwayne Johnson/Instagram

Moana (2026)

director
Thomas Kail

Release date
27 June 2025