Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

As a film enthusiast with a keen eye for detail, I find it truly captivating to delve into the intricate world of Disney animations and their hidden gems. The creators of Moana have outdone themselves by weaving a rich tapestry of characters and stories that resonate deeply with audiences, while subtly paying homage to their own illustrious past.


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is giving Moana’s costume department the credit for his latest look.

Following the actor’s appearance on the set of the live-action Disney movie remake, where he once again plays Maui, looking significantly more muscular than before, he confessed that his impressive physique wasn’t due to time spent at the gym.

He informed “Extra” in an interview published on November 25th that the suit he’s wearing took quite a while to put on. In other words, when someone comments that he has ‘bulked up,’ it suggests they didn’t notice before.

Dwayne acknowledged that Joel Harlow, an Oscar-winning makeup artist, was responsible for creating the suit. He also mentioned that it took him a few hours each day to undergo the transformation and put it on.

Despite efforts by the film’s team to maintain the secrecy of the actor’s transformation, clever photographers somehow got access to the movie set in Hawaii. (52-year-old actor mentioned this fact.)

He expressed, “We took photos outdoors, and upon seeing those images later, I exclaimed, ‘Oh dear, it appears we’ve been discovered!’ He went on to explain, “We were erecting barriers to keep away the paparazzi, but they somehow managed to sneak in boats and started snapping pictures.

While enthusiasts of the cherished series may need to hold on till 2026 for Dwayne’s portrayal of Maui in live action, the arrival of Moana 2 promises to be a delightful substitute until then.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

Audience members will be eager to listen closely as the WWE alum’s daughters, Jasmine (age 8) and Tiana (age 6), contribute their voices to fresh characters in the follow-up film.

TopMob News was informed by him that they adored the film after its debut. They were thrilled, really thrilled. They had never seen it before. They recognized themselves in it and were on the very edge of their seats, anticipating. Then their scene appeared, and they exclaimed, ‘That’s me!’ It was truly amazing.

Keep reading for secrets you may not have known about Moana.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

In creating a Disney princess, directors initially propose three separate concepts to story guru John Lasseter before settling on one that shows promise. The inspiration for Moana, directed by duo John Musker and Ron Clements who are known for their works such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules, stemmed from Musker’s fascination with the South Pacific culture.

Exploring Polynesian folklore, researchers came across numerous stories featuring a character who can change shapes called Maui. Although each island has its own rendition of the story, Maui is frequently recognized as the one who imparted fire knowledge to humans, delayed the sun’s movement, and used his renowned fishing hook to raise islands from the ocean depths.

2. In the initial draft of the script, Dwayne Johnson‘s character, Maui, was the main focus, as Clements shared with Entertainment Weekly, referring to him affectionately as something like “Mighty Maui”.

The storyline additionally featured a female ally character. As Clements explained, “The narrative stemmed from a myth about a girl whose lover was abducted, and she sought aid from Maui in retrieving her lost love.” He continued, “This was the crux of it, there wasn’t much more to it than that. Still, he found it intriguing, but he urged, ‘You need to delve deeper.’

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

3. One discarded concept featured Moana, a teenager who serves as the chief’s daughter, being a misfit in an ancient setting.

The directors shared with Entertainment Weekly that the narrative featured elements of time travel. It revolved around a modern child unveiling their ancestry, who, despite having a smartphone and other contemporary items, stumbled upon an old civilization. They clarified that they opted not to tell this particular story.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

4. A preliminary expedition to the Pacific Islands significantly altered the course of our production team’s work. As producer Osnat Shurer explained to Canada’s Tribute magazine in 2017, we spent a considerable amount of time with locals, residing in villages alongside elders, children, and scholars, and sailing as well. Our return was marked by a profound admiration for the culture, its history, its people, and the rhythm and harmony that permeate it. Consequently, we collectively decided at that moment that our aim should be to honor this culture; to showcase its beauty, delicacy, mystery, and history.

She shared that a certain elder from Mo’oera had a profound impact on her, as he expressed, “For a long time, we’ve been assimilated into your culture. Could you experience the reverse for once and immerse in ours?” This sentiment left an impression on her, which she acknowledged.

Shurer pointed out some valuable insights that contributed to the overall story: “The ocean, in essence, is alive and aware, connecting us all as one global community,” he stated. “To truly understand your place, you must first familiarize yourself with the history of the land and its natural surroundings. By cultivating a bond with nature, you can discover your path forward. These are profound truths that have been passed down through countless cultures, offering invaluable wisdom and messages waiting to be recognized by us all. I find this incredibly inspiring.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

5. The film portrayed a true historical occurrence known as the Long Hiatus, during which inhabitants of the western Pacific Islands are believed to have halted their exploration for approximately 1,000 years before resuming their journey towards Eastern Polynesia.

For years, the reason for that pause in exploration was hotly contested among many, yet movie creators decided to attribute it to Maui taking away the heart of Te Fiti. Consequently, this led to a growing concern and decreasing number of explorers returning from journeys beyond the coral reef, causing widespread worry about further expeditions.

6. To honor the authenticity of the location, filmmakers established the Oceanic Culture Advisory Group. Comprising anthropologists, educators, linguists, skilled tattoo artists, choreographers, haka practitioners, master navigators, and other specialists they encountered during their Pacific Islands research expeditions, this group offered guidance on every facet of the region’s culture to ensure an accurate portrayal.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

7. A change was requested concerning Maui’s iconic hairdo. Initially, he was depicted bald, similar to Johnson, but the advisors argued, “Maui isn’t actually bald. He possesses long, lush hair that is a vital part of his spiritual power,” Clements explained to USA Today. Consequently, everyone agreed, “So, Maui will have hair.

9. As a lifestyle expert, I can tell you that the recent changes in our finance department have been quite a hair-raising experience, so to speak. You see, maintaining this elaborate hairstyle comes with its own set of costs, which understandably gave our budget managers quite a scare. Initially, we were just one team, but now, due to these changes, we’ve effectively doubled our ‘do. In the world of animation, managing hair and water are two of the most complex tasks. So, needless to say, we’ve encountered our fair share of challenges here.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

9. However, unlike the actor, Maui didn’t sport Johnson’s smooth shave, but he did mention that the character was partly modeled after his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa.

10. In the original concept of Maui’s cherished song “You’re Welcome,” it was Moana who sang the words, aiming to jog the demigod’s memory about his deeds.

Initially, she admired him greatly, but when she encountered a man who seemed to have fallen on hard times, this disheartened individual, she felt compelled to inspire him. So, she sang a song to him, reminding him of the impressive feats he had accomplished, as Musker shared with EW. (Paraphrased)

The change made – with Maui boasting about his prowess – not only altered the narrative, according to Musker, but it provided songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda “a lot more material” to work with.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

11. Indeed, Auli’i Cravalho shares a strong likeness with her screen persona, but the similarity is purely accidental. The character of Moana was designed prior to her casting. Sometimes, things just seem destined to happen.

12. In reality, Cravalho, a native of Hawaii who was 14 years old at the time, was the final actress to audition following a long search that involved hundreds of hopefuls across the Pacific Islands.

In the callback session, she was instructed to act as if she had been given the role. The casting director, Rachel Sutton, explained, “They suggested, ‘Perhaps you could portray it as if we were informing you that the part is yours,'” which Cravalho found cunning but ultimately added an authentic touch to the story of Moana‘s production.

13. Regarding Nicole Scherzinger, who hails from Hawaii, she landed the role of Sina, Moana’s mother, after making her presence known. In a 2016 interview, she shared her excitement, saying something like, “I was all fired up! I needed to be a part of this project in any capacity.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

14. Pua and HeiHei were included in the movie because they were seen on numerous South Pacific research trips, and their voices were provided by real animals. Interestingly, all of Pua’s sounds were taken directly from a genuine pig, while HeiHei’s voice is a mix of Alan Tudyk imitating rooster noises and actual recorded rooster sounds.

15. Initially, the plan was for the rooster to serve as a companion rather than stealing the spotlight as he did; however, that’s just how Heihei turned out to be.

Initially, Pua, Moana’s loyal pet pig, was meant to be part of the journey, but in the end, he remained on the shore due to safety concerns. However, this decision left me feeling ambivalent,” Musker expressed to EW. “We initially planned for Pua to accompany her, but there was some persuasion against it. They preferred Moana to be more solitary, accompanied only by that dim-witted rooster, and without the reassurance of having Pua with her. There were adorable scenes we unfortunately had to omit.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

16. In their past movies like Aladdin and Hercules, directors Musker and Clements had included animated depictions of themselves as townspeople and muscular men respectively. They aimed to follow a similar approach in the film Moana by incorporating animated versions of themselves once again.

In a delightful conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Clements shared an interesting tidbit. Originally, the irascible rooster character was reminiscent of John, while the pig was inspired by none other than me. However, as the story unfolded, it became apparent that the rooster wasn’t always as dim-witted as initially portrayed.

17. In fact, “He initially came across as quite arrogant,” writer Jared Bush revealed during a 2016 Comic-Con panel. “Heihei had a strong personality. Through numerous screenings, we discovered the character wasn’t connecting well. We began to make small changes to Heihei.

When they conducted a test of the animation using a less intelligent portrayal of the rooster, it brought on the laughter. Bush commented, “Pua is the sweetest Disney character, while Heihei is the most dim-witted.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

18. In the whirlwind of brief appearances by Disney legends in the animated movie “The Little Mermaid,” Flounder swims about during the vibrant sequence of “You’re Welcome.” Wreck-It Ralph is spotted on a tapa cloth that Chief Tui presents to baby Moana, while Baymax from “Big Hero 6” appears among the Kakamoras who confront Moana and Maui.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

19. …and additionally, characters such as Sven from Frozen, who becomes one of Maui’s hook transformations, and Marshmallow, depicted on a tapestry, are included. Even a brief glimpse of a broken-down Olaf could be spotted in Moana’s boat.

Dwayne Johnson Admits to Wearing Bodysuit to Film Live-Action Moana

20. People who stayed till the end of the movie got an additional treat in the form of another Easter egg: A glimpse of Tamatoa, the crab whom Maui and Moana had vanquished to reclaim his hook, still attempting to free himself from their battle’s aftermath.

“If my name was Sebastian,” he said, “and I had a cool Jamaican accent, you would totally help me!”

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2024-11-28 23:19