A second wave of set photos for the upcoming live-action Moana remake has just surfaced (via Mail Online) and these offer a much closer look at Catherine Laga'aia's title character and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui.
In the blurry shots we got yesterday, many fans quickly pointed out that it looked like the pro wrestler had gained a fair bit of muscle to portray a real-life version of the character he first voiced for 2016's Disney Animation hit.
Well, it turns out the actor has donned a muscle suit. This is a tad ironic, particularly as many felt Johnson was taking a shot at Shazam! star Zachary Levi a few years ago while promoting Black Adam (he captioned a social media post by saying, "this is not your typical DC or Marvel padded muscle suit").
Maui has a very specific build, though, and it seems the idea is to recreate that rather than just having The Rock appear as he usually would. His physique is incredibly impressive but Maui is a demigod and significantly larger than even the pro wrestler-turned Hollywood A-Lister.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what this looks like in the finished product (confirming it's a muscle suit is the fact a zip can be seen on Johnson's back).
"We are so excited and happy to announce that a live action reimagining of Moana is in the works," Johnson said when we first learned of plans for the movie. "Many of you may not know the brilliant team at Disney Animation, my partners, we found so much inspiration for Maui in the mana and the presence of my late grandfather, the legendary High Chief Peter Maivia. When I bring Maui to life, I'm doing it in the spirit of my grandfather."
Johnson is producing Moana as is Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs. Original Moana voice actor Auli'i Cravalho also produces, ensuring she's keeping a close eye on her most famous role's evolution on screen. The supporting cast includes John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.
Directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton), Moana is set to be released in theaters on July 10, 2026. You can see these new set photos by clicking the link in the X post below.