Disney contemplated generating a digital counterpart of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for the live-action version of Moana. In this film, Johnson will once again portray Maui, the muscular demigod he voiced in the 2016 animated movie and its upcoming sequel in 2024. The studio intended to use Tanoai Reed, Johnson’s cousin who often served as his stunt double on films like Hercules, Black Adam, Jumanji, Fast & Furious, and more, as a stand-in for Johnson. They planned to superimpose an artificial intelligence deepfake of Johnson’s face onto Reed’s performance, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, Reed was set to stand-in for a limited number of scenes on specific days when Johnson wasn’t there. To make it seem like Johnson was present in those scenes, Disney planned to collaborate with AI company Metaphysic to generate deepfakes of Johnson’s face. These digital replicas would be superimposed over Reed’s performance in the footage, essentially allowing Johnson to appear in two locations simultaneously.
Metaphysic, an “AI-driven visual effects studio,” specializes in creating realistic AI imagery for various sectors including films, TV shows, advertisements, music, and live events. Their work includes digitally recreating actors like Tom Hanks and Robin Wright at different stages of their lives using generative AI technology in the movie “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis. Additionally, they undertook face replacement for the late actor Ian Holm in “Alien: Romulus” for Disney’s 20th Century Studios.
The company is boasting that Metaphysic AI has achieved the first-ever live face swap on television broadcasts, enabling Eminem to jointly appear with his persona Slim Shady at the 2024 MTV Music Video Awards. Moreover, this technology will bring back iconic musicians like Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley for various purposes, such as live performances, advertising for gin, and more.
As reported by the Journal, Johnson has given his green light to a project that involves creating a deepfake replica of himself using advanced AI. However, Disney’s legal team is in discussions about how best to utilize this novel technology, addressing issues such as security measures for data protection, potential risks, and various other concerns. Among these considerations is whether Disney could assert ownership over every aspect of the film if artificial intelligence contributes significantly to its production.
Although Disney and Metaphysic have been intermittently discussing contractual details and creating a digital character for over a year, it’s important to note that none of the filmed material will appear in the movie when it debuts next summer.
Last year, images from the set of the live-action remake of Moana surfaced online, revealing that Dwayne Johnson, aged 53, donned a form-fitting bodysuit to embody Maui’s muscular build. The bulky suit was designed by Joel Harlow, an Academy Award-winning makeup effects artist known for his work on Johnson’s Jungle Cruise and Red One, which took a considerable amount of time to put on due to its size.
In a conversation with Extra last year, during an interview linked to Moana 2, Johnson admitted that “every day involved a few hours of disguising ourselves, setting it all up.” He continued, “When those photos emerged, I was like, ‘Oh no! We’ve been found out!’ We were building barriers to keep the paparazzi at bay, but they managed to sneak in and take pictures using boats.
Disney has planned for a live-action version of Moana to set sail in cinemas on July 10, 2026. Dwayne Johnson will play Maui, while Catherine Laga’aia takes on the role of the main character, the navigator.
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2025-08-04 21:40