Moana Trailer Reveals Dwayne Johnson's Live-action Maui (and Some Really Ugly Visuals)

Another day, different trailer for a creatively bankrupt live-action Disney remake. 

Reading betwixt nan lines of nan first teaser trailer for nan live-action "Moana" movie, it seemed for illustration a bully stake that location were scant few artistic reasons to remake nan beloved animated movie of nan aforesaid sanction (which came retired little than 10 years ago, by nan way, making this illustration particularly egregious). Now, nan afloat trailer is here, and, well, it's beautiful overmuch what you're expecting, isolated from pinch much washed retired colors. Great decision, team!

Disney has leaned difficult connected this strategy for nan past 15+ years, and contempt cinephiles dying a small wrong each clip different of these remakes is announced, nan truth is that wide audiences can't look to get capable of them. The live-action type of "Lilo & Stitch" made an obnoxious magnitude of money astatine nan container office, rewarding nan workplace for its boring and safe decision-making. Expect that train to proceed rolling here, since nan emotion for nan original "Moana," coupled pinch nan disappointing deficiency of movies aimed squarely astatine kids, will almost surely consequence successful this live-action movie making a boatload of rate of its own.

Disney

Let's put nan decision-making that led to this task speech for a minute, return a measurement back, and look astatine what this movie mightiness person going for it. Catherine Laga'aia is making her movie debut arsenic Moana, and if each goes well, this could beryllium nan benignant of star-making domiciled that leads to decades of activity for nan young performer. (Although, for a spot of a reality cheque successful that department, head Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin" made complete a cardinal dollars globally, yet prima Mena Massoud unluckily joined nan ranks of actors who struggled to find roles aft appearing successful successful films.) She, astatine least, appears to person a spot of verve arsenic a performer that approaches her animated counterpart, truthful we're pulling for her. It's besides bully to spot different actors of Pacific Islander descent connected surface here, since that demographic is often underserved aliases moreover flat-out ignored by nan industry.

Thomas Kail, who directed both nan shape type of Lin-Manuel Miranda's mega-successful "Hamilton" and nan filmed type for Disney+, is making his due characteristic directorial debut here. Considering his history pinch Miranda (who, remember, co-wrote nan original songs for "Moana" and is returning present arsenic a shaper and a songwriter), possibly Kail will supply an inspired return connected nan communicative and person america eating our words astir nan deficiency of productivity connected display. Probably not, but maybe!

And then, of course, there's Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, reprising his domiciled arsenic Maui. Will nan operation of "The Smashing Machine" failing astatine nan container agency and this movie inevitably being a immense financial occurrence origin him to retreat backmost into bland franchise roles? Or will he still beryllium consenting to return risks successful nan years ahead? Whatever nan answer, this loop appears to beryllium severely lacking nan charisma and power he brought to nan animated movie. It's almost for illustration this full point was a bad thought from nan start.

"Moana" swims into theaters connected July 10, 2026.