As one of the best hype men in the business, Dwayne Johnson is always trying to sell us something, which means the “surprise” announcement of a live-action Moana remake may not have come entirely out of the blue.
Anyone who knows a thing or two about the professional wrestler-turned-actor knows that he’s got strong ties to Samoan, Hawaiian, and Polynesian culture as a result of his upbringing and heritage, with his recent social media activity giving an insight into how the extended Johnson clan connects with their roots.
He even took a trip to the zoo that had him convinced he was stroking a scaly taint, but things took a turn for the cynical when the Moana reveal was made. As well as showcasing a glimpse into his background and history, The Rock was dropping breadcrumbs leading all the way up to the news that he’d be reprising the role of Maui in the live-action Disney redux.
Knowing that he’ll always find a way to shoehorn either his Teremana tequila, XFL football league, or ZOA energy drink into almost everything he uploads onto social media, we really should have seen this coming. And yet, we’re now left wondering if Johnson was booked in to shoot the Moana promo video and decided to turn it into a vacation, or if the latter was merely a bonus of being committed to the former.
There’s always something going on underneath the surface with the 50 year-old A-lister, and the only real surprise is that nobody joined the dots ahead of time.
