After announcing the project for Lilo & Stitch, Disney continues to “expand its horizons” with another animated adaptation. This time, the beloved Disney princess is set to return, leaving fans both excited and curious.
Specifically, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has officially announced the “green light” for the live-action adaptation of the animated film Moana. The film will mark Johnson’s return as the hero Maui, but the focus will shift to the title character, Princess Moana.
In addition to Johnson, Disney has chosen to keep the original voice actress for Moana, who will reprise her role. Born in 2000, Auli’i Cravalho hails from Hawaii, but she also has Puerto Rican, Dominican, Chinese, and Irish heritage. Cravalho has received praise for her bright and confident persona, perfectly embodying the “ocean princess” Moana.
However, this latest animated project from Disney faces scrutiny from fans. The focus is no longer solely on the character’s beauty; Moana has become a “hot topic” due to Disney’s historical “remake” nature. Viewers are increasingly concerned about the studio’s patterns, with some comments reflecting this sentiment: “It used to take 40 years to get a Disney remake. Now, it seems like they are trying to shorten that to 30, 20, or even 7-8 years. Is Disney really that desperate?“, a viewer commented, according to a Screen Rant compilation.
Furthermore, Dwayne Johnson’s involvement has sparked significant debate. Previously, the actor faced backlash for inserting himself too much into the DC film landscape, which contributed to the failure of Black Adam and negatively impacted the overall DC cinematic universe. Now that he has left DC behind, Johnson is returning to Disney, leading to concerns among fans.
Moana was released in 2016, following the journey of the young girl Moana as she sets sail to find and restore the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. The film achieved great success, grossing over $682 million and becoming a standout entry in Disney’s animated collection.
Source: Screen Rant
