Last month, Dwayne Johnson revealed in a message from Hawaii that a live-action reimagining of Disney Animation’s 2016 hit feature film “Moana” is in development.
The new feature film is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn via Flynn Picture Co. Executive producers include Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, and Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co. Jared Bush and Samoan industry pro Dana Ledoux Miller will also take part in the production. Bush, who was a director and co-writer of Disney’s Oscar®-winning feature “Encanto” and a writer and co-director on Disney’s Oscar®-winning film “Zootopia,” wrote the screenplay for 2016’s “Moana.”
It was recently revealed that Cravalho will not be reprising her starring role in the live-action remake, but it does look like the studio has landed a director for the project. The Hollywood Reporter is now confirming that Hamilton director Thomas Kail is set to helm the movie. Earlier this week, there were rumors Kail was attached to the movie.
Filming on the project will reportedly begin later this year in Hawaii & Georgia.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” debuted in theaters on Nov. 23, 2016, grossing nearly $644 million in global box office. The title, which debuted on Disney+ with the streamer’s 2019 launch, is among the top 15 movies streamed in the United States in 2022. The film’s soundtrack, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’iand Mark Mancina, was lauded worldwide. Miranda won a GRAMMY® for best song written for visual media (“How Far I’ll Go”), and an Oscar® nomination for best achievement in music written for motion pictures – original song (“How Far I’ll Go”). In 2021, the “Moana” soundtrack broke a Billboard Soundtrack chart record for the amount of time spent at number one (52 weeks). Additionally, the film was nominated for an Academy Award (best animated feature film of the year), a BAFTA (best animated feature film) and a pair of Golden Globes® (best motion picture – animated and best original song (“How Far I’ll Go”).
Source: The Hollywood Reporter