Dwayne Johnson’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Will Film in Hawaii and Atlanta, Georgia

Moana is Disney’s next animated movie to get the live-action treatment. And the project is getting ready to start filming later this year in both Hawaii and Atlanta, Georgia.

According to sources, filming for the Hawaii unit of the movie is set to get underway this October. And production is moving to Georgia in January 2024. So far, the only cast announced for the project is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will star as Maui in the movie. Additionally, Johnson will serve as a producer on the flick alongside Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia.

In the production information that has gone out lists the project description as:

A live-action remake of the animated musical Moana that takes inspiration from Polynesian myths as it tells the story of a young woman who disobeys her father, the chief of an island that is dealing with an impending ecological disaster, and goes off on a quest to reunite a mystical relic with its owner, a goddess named Te Fiti. Along the way, she releases Maui from his island prison, is captured by a monstrous crab, and finds the strength to become the chief her father believed she could be. 

It’s not at all surprising that Moana would be the next in line for a live-action adaptation, considering the massive box-office success of the animated film. With a budget of $150 million, the movie grossed more than $682 million worldwide. It was also nominated for two Oscar awards, including Best Original Song and Best Animated Film.

The First News of the Moana Live-Action Remake

The news of the live-action Moana remake first made waves when Dwayne Johnson announced the project during the Disney shareholders meeting on April 3, 2023. The star tweeted:

“Humbled to say we’re bringing Moana’s beautiful story to the live-action big screen! Maui changed my life (miss you grandpa), and I’m honored to partner with Disney to tell our story through the realm of music and dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people.”

Johnson’s tweet was accompanied with a video as well, which was also shared to YouTube.

With production on the live-action Moana expected to begin this fall, additional casting announcements should be coming soon. We’ll keep you posted!