Dwayne Johnson fires back at claims Disney rushed the live-action Moana remake

If you thought Disney was jumping the gun with their live-action remake of Moana, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not the first to say it out loud. The original animated Moana didn’t even premiere a decade ago, so plenty of fans and even some critics have said this remake feels a bit rushed. Disney, of course, is never shy about going back to the well (sometimes repeatedly), but doing it in under 10 years? Bold, even by Mouse House standards.

Dwayne Johnson: Not Bothered By 'Too Soon'

At the LA premiere, The Rock himself (that’s Dwayne Johnson, in case you’re new here) spoke up about all the ‘it’s too soon for a remake’ buzz. Here’s the deal: when asked by The Hollywood Reporter if maybe Disney could have waited a bit—especially since they took nearly a century to give Snow White the live-action treatment, and even The Lion King had to wait 25 years for its CG facelift—Johnson brushed the whole thing right off.

He put it like this:

"To be honest with you, I never bought into this idea that 'You have to wait 20 years, you have to wait 30 years, it’s too soon.' I honestly never did, and not because I’m biased and I made the film, but because there’s themes and values in this, in animated Moana, that could translate really well if you saw a real human being going through it, and a real young girl going through it."

Basically, Johnson reckons the core of Moana—the themes, the coming-of-age stuff, all that—works whether it’s drawn or live-action, and you don’t need an arbitrary waiting period. He doesn’t see what the fuss is about, and insists it’s not just because he’s the star (even if, let’s be honest, it probably helps).

A Quick Refresher: What’s This Moana Remake About?

Not much has changed on the story front. Disney’s official blurb reads:

"In Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar-nominated animated adventure, Moana answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people."

If you’ve seen the original, you know the drill—unlikely heroes, mythic quests, and, famously, one enormous villain crab who sings.

The Line-Up

• Dwayne Johnson as Maui (yes, he’s back, and he’s not letting anyone else near his demigod gig)
• Catherine Laga'aia as Moana (taking over from Auli'i Cravalho, who played her in the original)
• Rena Owen as Gramma Tala
• John Tui as Chief Tui
• Frankie Adams as Sina
• Jemaine Clement as the voice of Tamatoa (the giant villainous coconut crab is back in all his shiny glory)

The release date is locked in for 10 July 2026—so if you’ve got strong feelings about the ‘too soon’ argument, you’ve still got a while to either cool off or work up a proper Twitter thread about it.