Disney's moana remake sparks outrage over dwayne johnson's appearance
The upcoming live-action remake of disney's Moana has been met with widespread criticism, with many fans ridiculing the appearance of lead actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
Johnson's cgi-enhanced look sparks parody comparisons
A trailer for the film, released yesterday, provided fans with their first look at Johnson reprising his voice role as demigod Maui. However, the response to his appearance has been overwhelmingly negative, with many likening his CGI-enhanced physique and wig to a parody.
We've told all the casting agents that the Weird Al biopic sequel is currently on hold, but they just keep sending in headshots, quipped Weird Al Yankovic in a widely-shared post on Instagram featuring a screenshot of Johnson from the trailer.
Others speculated that Johnson's face had been digitally added using AI, exacerbating the appearance of heavy computer generation, despite the remake being billed as live-action.
Hundreds of millions of dollars wasted so Dwayne Johnson can don a terrible wig and deliver the same lines but with worse timing, wrote one fan. New low for the corporate slopmongers.
Original moana fans question necessity of remake
disney is no stranger to live-action remakes of its animated properties, but the decision to remake Moana has attracted particular scrutiny, given the original film's beloved status and relatively recent release in 2016.
Many fans have expressed the remake is unnecessary, serving primarily as a vehicle for Johnson to appear as Maui in live-action, rather than waiting another decade.
What do you mean Disney did this 20 years ago and they all look like real people on a real beach with real water? How does a film from 20yrs ago look better than one now? tweeted one fan, comparing the remake unfavorably to Disney's early CGI efforts.
Concerns over visual aesthetics, color palettes
Aside from criticism of Johnson's character specifically, fans have raised more general concerns about the movie's appearance.
There's a critique that much of the film looks overly computer-generated, a criticism also levied against other Disney live-action remakes.
Additionally, some have noted that the film appears less colorful than the original, and failed to make the most of its on-location filming.
Shooting even one second of a Polynesian-set movie in Atlanta should be a jailable offense, wrote one fan, referring to the home of many effects-heavy Disney productions.
Literally just sucked up all the color, this is awful, tweeted another fan, sharing a screenshot of the trailer.
Box office impact uncertain amid criticism
Despite the backlash, there's no indication yet that this response will impact the movie's box office performance.
The similar remake of Lilo & Stitch made over $1 billion in theaters last year and will now get a live-action sequel, while many more remakes are also in the works, with Tangled next in line.
Earlier this month, Disney announced plans for a live-action Peter Pan spinoff centered on tiny fairy Tinker Bell, set to launch on Disney+, as well as upcoming remakes of Hercules and Bambi, and a Beauty and the Beast spinoff starring Gaston.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social.