All articles tagged with #dwayne johnson
In Variety’s interview, Thomas Kail explains directing Disney’s Moana live-action, preserving Maui’s iconic hair and the tattoos via a skin-realistic suit, and tackling the ambitious “Where You Are” number with hundreds of dancers in stifling Hawaii heat, while framing the project as a revival-like process that honors the original story and characters and noting he doesn’t obsess over reviews.
At 19, Catherine Laga’aia makes her feature-film debut as Moana in Disney’s live-action remake, after beating out 32,000 applicants via an Instagram casting call; she discusses bringing her own take to the character, the Pacific Islander representation on Motunui, and the mix of nerves and excitement as she navigates sudden fame while learning from Dwayne Johnson and director Thomas Kail.
In a D23 Q&A ahead of Moana’s July 10 premiere, Catherine Lagaʻaia discusses embodying Moana in Disney’s live-action remake and the importance of authentic Pacific representation, while Dwayne Johnson explains Maui’s flesh-and-blood portrayal and the collaboration with director Thomas Kail and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda to honor Polynesian culture. The piece highlights the film’s large production scale (about 2,000 people involved) and previews exclusive CinemaCon portraits as the team aims to honor the animated film’s legacy while charting a fresh course for the live-action voyage.
Dwayne Johnson’s live-action Moana remake is drawing some of the worst reviews of his career, with critics slamming a near shot-for-shot re-creation, a lackluster performance (including a controversial “fright wig”) and a sense he’s on autopilot, while box-office projections signal a weak U.S. debut despite Disney’s blockbuster history for the franchise.
Dwayne Johnson will star in and produce the action-drama Free Byrd for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, playing a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who hides his dementia diagnosis as he risks one last jump; Greg Kwedar will direct and rewrite the screenplay, with Jon Boyer and earlier writers Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson contributing to earlier drafts, and Johnson joining as a producer alongside Kwedar, Clint Bentley and Gil Netter. Johnson also has other projects in development, including the live-action Moana remake and Jumanji: Open World.
A competent but essentially pointless live-action Moana that’s more CGI than cinema, with Dwayne Johnson delivering an on-auto-pilot performance; the film feels like monetised content rather than a fresh, engaging take, and a stage musical might have given the numbers more life.
Dwayne Johnson revealed at the Moana premiere that he went through 12 Maui wigs to nail the live-action Maui’s hair and laughed 'so fucking hard' at the memes online when the first trailer dropped; he said the memes were very funny and that Maui’s hair was a power to get right. He also discussed the live-action Moana’s approach, addressed early pushback about a reboot, and confirmed Moana 3 is in development. The live-action film hits theaters July 9, 2026.
Dwayne Johnson will star in and produce Free Byrd, an action-drama directed by Greg Kwedar for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, about a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who hides a dementia diagnosis as he risks one last jump; Gill Netter will produce, with a rewrite by Kwedar, as Johnson’s collaboration with Affleck, Damon and Partners continues.
Dwayne Johnson will star in and produce Free Byrd, an action-drama from Artists Equity directed by Greg Kwedar. Johnson plays a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who hides a dementia diagnosis as he risks everything on one final jump. The screenplay originated by Jon Boyer and previously featured on the Black List, with Gil Netter and others producing alongside Artists Equity and Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions.
Wil Wheaton branded Dwayne Johnson a coward for keeping his political views private after Johnson said he would stay out of politics to focus on his work; the exchange highlights Johnson’s stance on political commentary, his Independent leaning, and Wheaton’s own recent political advocacy, including campaigning for Kamala Harris.
Dwayne Johnson is criticized for telling Esquire he will no longer speak publicly on politics, prompting George Takei to call the silence 'complicity'; the piece also highlights other celebrities’ stances on discussing politics and the broader debate over political engagement in Hollywood.
Dwayne Johnson faced online criticism after telling Esquire he will stop publicly weighing in on politics, with George Takei and Wil Wheaton calling his stance cowardly and complicit in silence. Johnson, on a worldwide Moana press tour, says he regrets endorsing Biden in 2020 and will keep politics off his public agenda to avoid dividing fans, choosing to express his views through his work instead. The piece also notes that other stars, like Jennifer Lawrence, have reflected on similar choices about public political commentary.
Dwayne Johnson says not getting an Oscar nomination for The Smashing Machine left him disappointed but sparked a renewed push to deliver his best work, noting the snub mattered and lit a fire in him to return to the grind; despite the Oscar miss, he and Emily Blunt received Golden Globes nominations and he’s already eyeing future projects with Benny Safdie, including Lizard Music.
In an Esquire cover feature ahead of Jumanji/Moana press and ongoing awards chatter, Dwayne Johnson reveals he faced a cancer scare after a lump on his testicle prompted an ultrasound, which ultimately showed epididymitis rather than cancer. He also acknowledges Oscar buzz and a lack of a nomination, saying it would have been incredible but doesn’t define him, and he plans to return to work. Johnson also says he will keep politics off his public platform, noting a prior Biden endorsement caused division, while remaining open to discussions about AI and other topics.