Dwayne Johnson excites fans with first look at Disney’s live-action 'Moana'

Dwayne Johnson brings the trickster demigod Maui to life in Disney’s upcoming live-action 'Moana'

By The News Digital
November 18, 2025
Dwayne Johnson excites fans with first look at Disney’s live-action 'Moana'

Dwayne Johnson unveiled the first preview of Disney’s live-action Moana, sparking major excitement among fans.

In an Instagram post on Monday, November 17, the 53-year-old American actor and professional wrestler shared the teaser.

The video features Catherine Laga'aia and Johnson as the wayfinding chieftess and her demigod pal.

In Disney's highly anticipated live-action reimagining of Moana, The Smashing Machine star is reprising his role as the trickster demigod Maui.

Some fans rallied to the comments section for expressing their excitment, with one writing, "OMG I CAN'T BREATHE I'M SO EXCITED."

"I don’t think I can handle how amazing this is going to be," another commented, followed by other users dropping heart shaped emojis. 

He also voiced the character in Disney’s 2016 animated musical Moana and its 2024 sequel, which became massive box office hits.

The Thomas Kail-directed live-action remake was first announced in April 2023. In November 2024, photos of a bulked up and bare-chested Johnson surfaced from the live-action movie’s Hawaiʻi set.

"That [suit] is a couple of hours every day of transforming, putting that on," he later clarified to Extra about his character’s look.

In addition to Johnson joining Laga'aia, 18, in the title role, John Tui (who held a role in Johnson's autobiographical NBC series Young Rock) as Moana's father Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Moana's mom Sina and Rena Owen as her grandmother, Gramma Tala are returning for more splashy adventures.