Dwayne Johnson Joins Disney’s Polynesian tale ‘Moana’

Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has officially signed on with Disney to play the male lead in their newest film Moana.

The actor will lend his voice to Maui, the lead male protagonist in the upcoming Polynesian-themed animated musical.

“It’s easy to see why they’re the greatest story tellers in the world. I’m excited”, Johnson posted on Instagram during the signing session.

Regarding the decision to set the tale in the Pacific director John Musker said “The South Seas, the exotic world that a lot of their stories are set in, was extremely intriguing to me. Just looking at the art which comes out that corner of the globe (…) I thought that it all begged for this bigger-than-life treatment.”

The screenplay for the new Disney tale has been written by Wellington film maker Taika Waititi and centres on Pacific Islander princess Moana, who sets sail in the South Pacific in search of a fabled island.

Together with Maui, a recurring character in Maori and Polynesian mythology she explores the open ocean, encounters enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.

Johnson, an American-Canadian actor and former football star and all-time-great wrestler, is descended on his mother’s side from Samoan chiefs. Johnson briefly lived in Auckland, New Zealand, with his mother’s family. He attended Richmond Road Primary School, before returning to the United States with his parents. (Wikipedia).

The new Disney animation musical is scheduled to release on November 23, 2016.

See also Huffington Post post by Jim Hill, entertainment journalist and Walt Disney Company expert John Musker and Ron Clements Chart an Ambitious Course for Moana, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2016 Release and Kaleo The Voice (Hawaii) article by Keon Diego Cultural authenticity in Disney’s Moana March 28, 2015.

Article Source: Comic Book Resources, Meagan Damore, April 1, 2015.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org