‘Moana’ Reveals Dwayne Johnson’s Demi-God in Debut Teaser
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is heading to theaters in a seemingly never-ending stream of new projects. And one of the most anticipated of those just released its debut trailer — which features the wrestler-turned-actor in a uniquely cartoonish, larger-than-life role. Watch the clip above.
This Thanksgiving, Johnson will voice Maui, a South Pacific demi-god with a fish hook that can move the sun and the Earth — and a raised eyebrow that resembles his real-life counterpart’s — in Disney’s latest animated princess saga Moana. The story of a young girl named Moana (newcomer Auli’I Cravalho) who sets out to locate a legendary island with Maui’s aid, it’s a 3D adventure that, from the looks of its initial footage, will boast vibrant computer-animation — think Big Hero Six meets Frozen, except with more Maori flavor. It’ll also be led by a raucous vocal performance from Johnson, whose Maui appears to function as a gregarious, shape-shifting, comedic-relief sidekick not unlike Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin.
While the film’s premiere trailer doesn’t touch upon its basic plot, it does remind us that at least part of its musical score will come courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the mastermind behind Broadway’s stratospheric hit show Hamilton (which just picked up 11 Tony Awards last night). And as we already know, Johnson will be crooning at least some of the material’s many songs.
Moana sails into theaters this Thanksgiving — when it’s sure to be yet another of Disney’s numerous 2016 hits — but you can get an early peek at the film via the trailer above.