Dwayne Johnson transforms into Maui in official live-action 'Moana' trailer
The official trailer for the upcoming live-action "Moana" film is here.
Disney debuted the trailer for the reimagined "Moana" on Monday, featuring Catherine Laga'aia as the titular Moana and Dwayne Johnson returning in his role from the 2016 animated film and 2024 sequel, the trickster demigod Maui.
The trailer opens with Moana longing for more beyond the reef of her home island, Motunui, as her grandmother, Gramma Tala (Rena Owen), shares a story.
"The story has just begun," Gramma Tala tells her. "Beyond our reef, an evil darkness has found us. Moana, the ocean chose you. Find Maui, restore the heart of Te Fiti, and save us all."
Johnson then appears as Maui, meeting Moana for the first time and letting out an iconic "chee-hoo" before transforming into a whale.
The two set sail on a mission aboard a wayfinding boat, encountering a few obstacles along the way.
The trailer ends with Moana telling Maui, "I'm not a princess. I'm the daughter of the chief, leader of my people."
Maui asks her, "Are you ready to be the hero?"
"Let's go save the world," she replies.
The highly anticipated film is directed by Thomas Kail from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. Tiana Nonosina Liufau collaborated with filmmakers on the choreography, while Liz McGregor served as costume designer.
The film is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who served as songwriter on the 2016 animated "Moana" film. It is executive-produced by Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth and Auli'i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original animated film and sequel.
Starring alongside Laga'aia and Johnson in the film are John Tui as Moana's father Chief Tui and Frankie Adams as Moana's mother Sina.
"Moana" sails into theaters July 10.
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